Wonders that light up dark side of gardening

Now's the time to start refreshing some parts of my garden - and this week my project was to plant ground cover under a canopy of tree ferns.

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I've done a lot of soil preparation, removing weeds and stones and have covered the area with a thick layer of compost - I'm talking about six inches or more of dark, crumbly nutrient rich compost that smells of the woodland floor and will be the perfect host for my new plants. Ferns are a natural choice for such an area. They complement the existing tree ferns and the shady floor mimics their natural woodland floor homes. I've planted a mixture of varieties, each being planted in groups of five. Dryopteris erythrosora is a very resilient and beautiful fern - it's sometimes called the Autumn Fern due to the coppery tints of the young foliage which then turn vivid green on maturity. It's a clump-forming semi-evergreen perennial. By contrast, Athyrium 'Burgundy Lace' is a striking deciduous fern - the arching fronds emerge purple and mature to silvery green while retaining a purpl