Potted Ferns

It's been more than a year since we started propagating ferns in pots, and now we have extremely satisfying results. In this case, we focused on two polypodium types: a medium-sized and light frond (above & right), and a much-larger and heavier frond (topmost). The lighter one, we opted to let grow on a bucket shaped terra-cotta pot (right), which looks in proportion to its slender and lightweight appearance. Just a few more months and the fern will fill the entire pot, giving it a lush and full look.

Davalia

I cannot have enough of this beautiful Davalia fern, which has gracefully flourished on the side of a mango tree in the garden, giving the Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) an intricate, lace-like skirt to cover its underside. This is one type which we have not successfully propagated yet; it seems hard to train and quite sensitive to human interference.

Strapleaf Ferns

 Several varieties of Microsorum ferns, apparently collectively called Strapleaf Ferns, but I have also read some that refer to the one above as Sword Fern or Climbing Bird's Nest Fern (Microsorum punctatum). They have spreading rhizomes, and has generally thick, narrow and shiny yellow green leaves. The tips vary though: from pointed (above), ruffled and twisted (left), and lobed (below).

They produce their own spore case (sporangia) and would cling itself to trees, fern slabs, and practically anywhere i can get moisture and shade. All three are mature enough by now and produce their own spores on the leaves' underside tips.

Six-Foot Long Ferns

After a long, dry hot season, it's so exciting to see the ferns grow back to life and regain its lushness and beauty. And nothing is more enchanting to see than the amazingly-long Goniophlebium ferns (Goniophlebium subauriculatum), elegantly hanging like long green feathers gently brushing our faces every time we pass by the fern garden. 

It's strange though that something as stunningly desirable as this has no common name in either English or Filipino. I've been researching on and off for some years and I have yet to find out how this is commonly known as. 

It's been three rainy seasons by now since this transplanted fern has established itself and flourished this much here in its new environment.

Philippine Tree of the Month: Anubing

In the middle of the fern garden, amidst a grove of mango trees, is a lone Anubing (Artocarpus ovatus), another endemic tree, which means it only naturally occurs in our islands. Being an Artocarpus, it is closely related to the Antipolo (which I have yet to feature), the Rimas, the Langka (Jackfruit), and the Kamansi. I was absolutely ignorant about its significance when we began here; it's a good thing the locals empathically suggested we keep this as we cleared the overgrowth in the would-be garden. At that time, it was still small (just twice my height, I reckon) and was rather puny since it was in the shaded midst of mature mango trees. But now, it is a towering specimen with a perfectly straight and upright trunk and a full crown of leaves.

And speaking of leaves, one of the Anubing's unique characteristics is its leaf's underside sticks to clothes like Velcro (right)! Apparently, it fruits too but is quite insignificant as it isn't edible. It's also a hardy tree and would thrive in rather difficult circumstances (i.e. lowland thickets, shaded areas), making it a good tree for reforestation.

Being in the middle of the fern garden, we transplanted Pyrossia on its trunk (below) and it has nicely thrived and blended amidst the fernscape.

Fern Sporangia

Ferns are not the most popular plants, which is quite unusual given the fact that they all have attractive leaves in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and colors. I have been fascinated by ferns since I was small but it was not until I was grown up that I learned ferns produce spores, more often on its underside, which are the closest it produces as plants bear seeds to propagate itself. These usually appear in the mature fronds, and will eventually scatter when the frond dries up after it wilts.

Now, the spores scattered by the wind will hopefully find a damp spot for it to "germinate," fair enough. But if you have a garden devoted to ferns where we perpetually add varieties that we sometimes have difficulty distinguishing one full-grown variety from another, try to imagine how baffling it is to identify sporelings!


So we have started culturing spores which, now that I write it, I realize how intimidating (and geeky) it sounds. With practice, we should have a good success rate in propagating Maidenhairs, Oak-Leafs, Staghorns, and Bird's Nests. Wish us luck!

The Riverscape

The river below is lined with what looks like untouched tropical jungle filled with wild plants, massive boulders, mosses, and even a sandy bank, yet everything looks in perfect order and symmetry. It is a natural garden that has evolved through time and only the most appropriate plants suited to the climate and conditions have remained.

My trusted aide, May and our German Shepherd, Vitra.

Native fig trees lord it over the riverscape, hosting birds' nests and tropical vines. On the ground are an array of ferns and jurassic-looking alocasias, and of course, the river's cool, clean water (above) help contribute in making this a lush hideaway. And to think it was not until many months after I purchased the farm that I ever hiked down here!


The river meanders through rockscapes that seasonally creates small, clear pools surrounded by wild greenery (left), with occasional neon-colored dragonflies animatedly captivating us. And of course,  the running water dampens the air and creates a humid atmosphere perfect for ferns to flourish (below), including the edible fiddlehead fern that we pick to make pakô salad.


Someday, we will clear a path going down and perhaps make a small hut near the water. in the meantime, we will just go on having our summer picnics on the sandy bank.

Aquatic Fern

A new addition to the fern garden is an aquatic plant given me by a doctor-couple who visited the farm recently. They are friends of mine and are nature and outdoor lovers as well, though I only learned that Sunday that the wife is also into plants. She was very appreciative of the gardens and it's always a pleasure to host friends who visit and know the plants by name!


Some days later, she sends me a water plant which she calls Eared Watermoss (Salvinia auriculata), the creeping, boat-shaped leaves on the photo above. When I researched on it, I was delighted to learn that it is an aquatic fern! I did not even know that such exist, and now a friend gives me some to complement the other epiphytes and terrestrials in the fern garden; a true and well-thought out gift.


My fern book hardly touches on it; Salvinia is mentioned but there's not even one photograph in all the pages. In other references, it's towards the end of the fern section and not much page space is given to their group of aquatics (in fact, I still only see two kinds, the other being Azolla).


The other plant, the rosette-looking light green plant is called Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). It is called kiyapo in Tagalog, which apparently grew profusely centuries ago on the banks of the Pasig River, thus the Manila arrabál was so named.

From My Library: Ferns of the Tropics

I periodically do business trips to Singapore and I am always awed by their massive yet well thought-out urban landscaping. But one of my most favorite hangouts is not a garden nor a park but the old Borders bookstore in Wheelock Place, at the corner of Orchard and Scotts. And a great book I picked up on one trip is this: a reference book partial to Southeast Asia, by a Botany professor from the National University of Singapore. It's actually full of information that's not overbearingly scientific but largely practical and clearly understandable to hobbyists and enthusiasts.

In simple language, he writes easy steps to propagate and care for ferns. There's also a section about its science, its place in history, and simple identifying methods. The second half is devoted to a fairly comprehensive catalog of species, each with clear photographs in their natural habitat.

Rain and Shine

It's one of my most favorite times of the year to be in the farm. Although there are hardly any fruits in season at present, the gardens and the plants are at its most gorgeous! The heavy rains are always followed by clear days with heavy dew on early windless mornings. The light the sunrise brings makes nature glow with a warm and calming ambience.

The haze is not from a filter but instead, moisture on my lens after removing the cap on a cool, damp morning.

And it's the ferns that relish this weather the most, of all the plants in the gardens. I think it's this time when they are the most prolific, with practically most of the ferns successively bringing forth new crosiers (left), the coiled tips that would eventually unfurl and become the amazingly-diverse variety of fronds (the fern "leaves"). On this photo, it's interesting to see a crosier, a mature frond stalk (the dark brown in the middle) and a young frond stalk (the light green on the right).

Apparently a Mircosorum variety

Microsorum punctatum "Grandiceps"

An unidentified variety

An Asplenium variety

The Fern Garden

Enchanting lace-like Davalia and Drynaria leaves. 

On a paved courtyard next to the main cabaña is the fern garden, a section of the farm with mature mango trees that host a variety of epiphytic and terrestial ferns.

Perched on the branches are an assortment of aspleniums (dápô), drynaria (pakpak-lawin),  platycerium or staghorn (capa de leon), nephrolepis, goniophlebium, and davalia.

It is an enchanting part of the gardens; anyone can't help but be mesmerized by the intricately-leaved ferns of various patterns and sizes. Most of the ferns are endemic to the Philippines and are cultivated by us from our own spores.

Allied with the ferns are other epiphytes that naturally grow alongside them: orchids, hoya vines, gingers, and other tropical wonders.

There are also terrestrial ferns like maidenhairs (culantrillo), angiopteris (pakông kalabaw), and cyathea.

These also grow side by side with alocasias, aglaonemas, philodendrons, caladiums, and dieffenbachias. And on one side of the courtyard is a trellis that hosts one of the jewels of the Philippine rainforest: the jade vine.