Pest battle with Maidenhair Fern — and how I won

I had a serious problem with frond browning and crisp tips in dry air on my Maidenhair Fern earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational.

Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate dramatic unfurling fiddle-head growth in spring, which is remarkable. I've repositioned it in a woodland garden understorey planting and improved my attention to removing dead fronds cleanly at the base in spring. early emergence from the soil before most other plants in spring was the proof that the plant had fully recovered — genuinely beautiful. Moral of the story: inspect regularly and catch problems early.