Hardy Tropicals UK

I want to add a really hardy backbone to my garden this year, i already have bamboo and some palms that will eventually give me some good height. I also have a few Dicksonia antarctica, but may add more.

However, in the winter months parts of my garden look really bare, so i want to add some bone hardy evergreen planting.
I have some shrubs here waiting to be planted out, and now i want to buy some more evergreen hardy ferns.
I have a few that i bought from Morrisons last year, they were just £1.29 tiddlers but are already a fairly good size.
I need to find the labels for them tho as i forget which ones they were.

So...

What ferns do you grow? What are doing well and are there any you would avoid.
I dont want any that die down, they must be evergreen and hardy...also nothing that needs protection.
Photos would also be good.

woodwardia fimbriata

Thanks Ken, will look that one up.

I should be fine now, thanks to Mark (Arlon) i have plenty to go at.

Del, i have a couple of losophoria quadriipinnata, they are chilean fern's supposed to be hardy up to -16!, one i bought in a 15 litre pot the other smaller one a 10 litre pot . they form like a horizontal log, mine have not been covered this year and have browned a little but sood up well. even a small version will set you back £50 if you can find one!. i'm looking at cythea meddullis at the moment but dont no how much protection they need or if there worth the hassle outside, talking of outdoors, i've been trying to get out since 8 oclock but rain is persistant. karl.

I'm not planning on anything expensive tbh, I don't mind buying small as ferns grow quick ( not tree ferns lol)
Last year i bought about 8 from morrisons, cost a tenner. They were only 9cm pots but would now fill a 2 litre pot easily.

Next week i may visit a few sheds, b&q and the range had ferns last time I was there.

That one you've mentioned does look stunning tho......so, maybe one expensive one lol.

Hard Shield Fern Polystichum aculeatum (native)

Polystichum setiferum
Dryopteris affinis
Blechnum chilense
Polystichum munitum(hardiest of the lot, withstands snow and everything and remains green+erect).

that link says decidous ,
it is most dcefinitely evergreen though.

greendragon wrote:Polystichum setiferum
Dryopteris affinis
Blechnum chilense
Polystichum munitum(hardiest of the lot, withstands snow and everything and remains green+erect).

Got the top 3 from that list, will take a look at the last

grub wrote:http://www.shadyplants.net/photo_3407340.html

Cheers Grub

Mr List wrote:that link says decidous ,
it is most dcefinitely evergreen though.

Yes spotted that. Thanks for confirming its evergreen.

Conifers wrote:Hard Shield Fern Polystichum aculeatum (native)

Will add that one to the list too. Nice one.

just to add a little point, my evegreen ferns have taken a battering every year with heavy snowfall each year breaking most of the fronds.
they might aswell be deciduous