Every gardener loves ferns, some of Nature's most elegant plants, and some of the easiest to grow.

The beauty of the ferns is their dependability. You know exactly when they'll come up and exactly how they'll look.

And the way they look is sensational. From large to small, choose some to add elegant plumed accents among your flowers. Choose the drama of a massive background for a shady corner. And take a look at some of the hybrids that now outshine many flowers.

Best of all, the ferns love the shade, so use them where it's moist and shady--those spots where the flowers sulk. Our choices spread and grow dependably, but do not "take over". They remain the elegant accents of the garden.

The fern in the photo at right is Evergreen Sword Fern, a longer version of our Evergreen Christmas Fern below. The leaves are from a vine maple.