Local Master Gardeners note that not only are ferns a crucial part of our Olympic Peninsula ecosystem — providing shelter, food, shade, erosion control and habitat for our green spaces — they are also a beautiful addition to home gardens adding, contrast and texture.
Find out more on fabulous ferns and their role at Heronswood Gardens in Kingston. Join Heronswood Director Dr. Ross Bayton for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Shade and Stumps: Gardening with Ferns at Heronswood,” set for noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles.
The presentation is also available online at wsu.zoom.us/j/93629898830 (meeting ID 936 2989 8830, passcode 676224). Or join the presentation by phone by calling 253-215-8782.
Bayton will discuss Heronswood’s Renaissance Garden, home to their large collection of fern species. He will look at the history of the garden and the philosophy behind its creation, plus the connection between this garden and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.
“I will also focus on ferns, an important group of plants for all gardeners in the Pacific Northwest. As the Heronswood Director, I’ve overseen the development of this garden, which began at around the same time I started work here,” Bayton said.
A London-born botanist and gardener, Bayton earned his PhD at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, studying the classification of tropical palms. He is the author of several books on horticulture including “New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation” (with John Grimshaw), “Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists” (with Simon Maugham), and most recently “The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Name.”
The Green Thumb Education Series, sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change.
For more information, call 360-565-2678.
