I'm sad to learn that NZ fern expert Patrick Brownsey has just passed away. Patrick Brownsey is(was) a legend in NZ botany, and spent most of his extensive career working as a fern taxonomist at Te Papa.
I have a well used copy of "New Zealand ferns and allied plants" on my book shelf that Patrick wrote with John Smith-Dodsworth. His work will live on.
Last ditch attempt to try to revive/salvage the struggling #ferns#plants: a winter boots tray as a "pebbles tray" but without the pebbles, only water that would evaporate to provide some marginal amount of humidity. And an #Aerogarden#growlight so that they might get through the dark gray season. I have no idea if this might work, but it's probably better than overwatering the soil…
This is what I mean when I say “nature isn’t something you ‘go to.’” This fern has been living under my car for a long time. #Ferns, y’all. Not sure if I should encourage it by watering it, if I even could, or transplant it somehow. I’m worried I’ll damage it if I try, so it’ll probably just live there until it can’t. It’s kind of amazing though, isn’t it? #plants#botany
I love it when trees grow on rocks. It shows just how determined and resilient they can be, if we let them.
This oak is part of one of the few remaining areas of temperate rainforest in the UK - look at the tree ferns growing on it.
We need to protect and extend these precious remnants.
With it being really shitty outside, I decided to do something creative and put the tropical planter together I have been thinking of for a while.
Some of the plants are from cuttings, others I've had for a while, and they weren't happy on their own. The microclimate of the planter should help, especially in the ultra dry winter months. I have several epiphytes in there, for which I have a soft spot.
The barrel is half a proper bourbon barrel I got on a sale.