Northern & Central Midwest
Cornell Gardening Resources
Visit Cornell Gardening Resources for a wealth of information, including recommended vegetable and fruit varieties for gardeners, field guides to help you identify tree species, information on maintaining your lawn without pesticides, and much more
Favorite or New Plant
Japanese Painted Fern
The Perennial Plant Association named Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' the 2004 Perennial Plant of the Year. This lovely plant with silvery fronds is one of the showiest ferns for partial to full-shade gardens. It's a lovely companion to hosta, bleeding heart, astilbe, and coral bells. Japanese painted fern needs well-drained, richly organic soil to perform its best, and it will give the best frond color in light shade. Keep the soil somewhat moist; in drought the plant goes dormant.