The Adirondack Garden: Cinnamon Ferns

The Adirondack gardener faces huge challenges to success: a very short season, deer willing to eat almost anything, exceptionally cold winters, and soil quality that varies by the foot. We had great success this year with hydrangea and with river birch trees. The deer seemed to stay away from them, which is a big hunk of the battle. The cinnamon fern, above, thrives at the water's edge. This one comes back every year, right by our bridge. They bloom into incredibly full, vibrant plants and are more stunning than anything we have brought to the property.