The soil is very rocky and dry under the tree, and there was very little grass there. When we moved in there was a big pile of rocks under the tree, which I gather were leftovers from when the previous owners made the flower bed in the background in the picture above. I decided to pile the rocks into a little retaining wall, and put good soil behind it and plant the ferns in that.
Look what was hiding in the pile of rocks!
According to the Internet, this is a Black Rat Snake. All my neighbors tell me the swamp behind the house is full of water moccasins, but everything resource I can find says water moccasins don't come farther north than southern Virginia. I think my neighbors are confused.
Of the 23 species of snakes in Maryland, the only poisonous ones are copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. They live in western Maryland, not here. Go look on the DNR website if you don't believe me.
Here is what I planted, left to right:
Goldie Wood Fern
Christmas Fern (3, in back)
Hay-scented Fern (2)
Cinnamon Fern (2, in front)
Autumn Fern "Brilliance" (2, in back)
Dixie Wood Fern
Ostrich Fern
Japanese Painted Fern (3, in back)
Red Lady Fern
Here's the view from the other side.
Max is still cute, even when he's cranky with an ear infection.
