I LOVE MY PERENNIAL FERNS

I recently wrote about my annual ferns.  I also add texture to my garden with my perennial ferns.  As many things that happen to me, I rescued the plants.  My neighbor was removing and discarding them.  I offered to take them from her garden and plant them in mine.  I planted them along the patio garden wall.  They're one of the first of my perennials to appear every spring.

PERENNIAL FERNS LINING MY PATIO WALL

They spread by underground runners.  This year one appeared in the middle of the side path.
 I'm just going to leave the solo volunteer there.

VOLUNTEER FERN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN PATH

The ferns are pretty prolific, so I divided them and planted them in the garden near our back porch.

FERNS IN THE SIDE GARDEN

I always add architectural elements to my gardens.  You can see an iron bird bath in this garden.  I used to fill it with annual plants, but it was too much trouble to keep them watered.  One Mother's Day my daughter gave me a silver garden sphere.  I plopped it into the birdbath and there it's been for many years.  It's one of my favorite accidental additions.

SILVER SPHERE IN MY BIRD BATH

The very last place I planted the ferns was near the fence beside my kitchen door.  They weave themselves into and over the iron spokes and are a perfect back drop and contrast to the vintage fence section.

FERNS SURROUNDING MY IRON FENCE SECTION

These next images are some close ups of the ferns.  Enjoy.

If you live nearby in the Washington DC area, let me know if you'd like some perennial ferns for your garden.  I'd love to share.

STYLING MY MANTEL WITH SEED PODS

If you follow my blog you'll know that my rough cedar family room mantel is the thorn in my decorating side.  I seem to always be re-styling it. 

The family room is right off the kitchen and is our most-used room.   Over the years it's become the orange and green room with chrome accents.  When I found a wonderful preserved seed pod, I knew it was the perfect green.  Yep, I'm giving the mantel another look.  The seed pod "branch" is about 48 inches long and mounted on  two iron rods on a large piece of recycled barn wood.  I have the option of hanging it horizontally or vertically. 

MY SEED POD

Next to the seed pod is my plaster ram.  He usually makes an appearance during the holidays when I drape some garland around his neck. 

PLASTER RAM

My stack of orange Hermes boxes tied it all together.  Since they're orange they travel around this room frequently.

HERMES SCARF BOXES

Looking in from the kitchen you can see my favorite ottoman. It's a place to rest your feet, a coffee table when I add a tray, and extra seating for a crowd.   It was an old Ethan Allen piece with some dated blue fabric.  I had it re-done with some orange Trina Turk fabric.

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

The oversized demijohn sports some jewelry and picks up the green.

There's more green on the chrome bookshelf, the MCM chair,  and the collage art.

I've mentioned my business partner, Monica  @gatehousedesigns.  Of course we have similar tastes and we both purchased the seed pods for our homes.  She hides hers in her TV cabinet.

MONICA'S TV CABINET

What a lovely surprise when she opens the doors.

SEED POD IN TV CABINET

What quirky accessory have you added to your home?

EASY LANDSCAPING WITH FERNS

I'm always trying to find easy care plants for my garden.  Boston ferns are my go to.  They always are on sale in May.  This year I scooped up several of them.  I don't even take them out of their pots.  I just drop them into different containers.  They add texture and color all summer and into the Fall with very little care. 

I have some cement urns in front of the garage.  I just plopped the pot into the urn.  

FERN IN A CEMENT PLANTER

Here it is viewed from the other direction.

SAME URN DIFFERENT DIRECTION

There's a second matching cement urn in front of the garage.  

I tucked a gargoyle under the cascading fronds.

MY GARGOYLE SHADED UNDER THE FERN

If you look in the background of the first image, you'll see another fern in my chinoiserie planter.  The planter is huge, so I balanced an iron garden sphere across the opening and tucked another fern inside the orb.  I have a pair of these planters too.  They flank the french doors.  Here's a close up of the fern finding its way out of the openings in the iron sphere.

FERN TUCKED INSIDE AN IRON GARDEN SPHERE

I have another fern in a small urn on the front porch.

FERN ON THE FRONT PORCH

I love the way the fern catches the afternoon sunshine, cascades over the urn, and reaches out to blend into my chartreuse hostas.

AFTERNOON SUN ON THE FERN ON MY FRONT PORCH

These ferns are all annuals.  I always try to save them by bringing them inside in the winter, but they never look as good as the new ones I buy in the Spring.   

I also have perennial ferns in the garden.  I'll be sharing them in another post. 

Do you have some plants you always add to your landscape?

BUNNIES, BOTANICALS, BOTTLES, BEADS, AND BLUES @BUCKEYSTOWNDESIGNCO-OP

Lately I've only been sharing photos from our store, Buckeystown Design Co-op, on Instagram and Facebook rather than here on the blog.  I thought I'd change things up a bit this month and show what I have available in a post too.  You'll notice blue accents, bunnies, bead garlands and some wonderful botanical art. 

You'll recognize the blue and white botanicals that I used in my daughter's dining room update.  The chinoiserie pendant light layered in front of the prints is new to the store.  The tall divided mirrors on either side of the art are very popular.  They hang horizontally or vertically.   A pair of blue and white lamps are reflected in the mirrors. 

I always have a large selection of dough bowls and bread boards.  The bunny wearing the working pocket watch sold out at Easter.  They're back in stock.  There's more blue and white on the fringed table runner.

There's another rabbit tucked beside a bottle rack.  Notice the soft branch botanical art in the background and the turquoise beads with a gold heart.  The gold bees in the lower left corner are bumble bee ornaments that I sell all year round.

My last bunny picture, I promise.  This is a collage of original art.  

Its size makes it perfect for filling a large space.

COLLAGE ART

If you know me, you know I'm not a fan of the color red.  These lovely poppy prints changed my mind about that color.

Sheep can wear a pocket watch too.  Demijohns can hold jewelry.

A weathered white frame really makes this botanical print.

The garden plot print is actually a copy of a vintage garden design.  

Layered Tuscan art is interspersed with some recycyled books.  Their spines have coordinates for local towns.  Crowns and graduated measuring cups are tucked into the shelves.

If you live in the Washington DC area, you can come shop with us every Wednesday-Saturday from 10-4.  At this time I don't ship items.  I'll let you know if that ever changes.

If you enjoy seeing what I have for sale at the store, you could follow on Instagram @allaboutvignettes or on Facebook:  All About Vignettes.