THROW SHADE

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.

- DIARMUID GAVIN

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 nat-ural woodland floor homes. I’ve planted a mixture of varieties, each being planted in groups of five.