Good choices for the inexperienced are ferns of the Davallia and Nephrolepis genera because they demand little in the way of special care and are easily grown into beautiful specimen plants. On the other hand, container grown plants do best as a rule in a soiless growing medium high in humus but which drains well. The humus used may be wood chips or bark chips, leaf mold, peat moss, or any combination of these. The inorganic portion of the mix can be sand or perlite in sufficent quanity to provide good aeration and drainage. Plastic pots are light , stay cleaner, do not collect algae as much as clay pots, and do not have to be watered as often.
Clay pots provide better areation and help to prevent the build up of soggy medium.
With plastic pots it is adviseable to use a coarser medium and to be particularly careful not to water than necessary to keep the soil just moist. Although ferns are shade loving plants they require much stronger light then many people think. Ferns will not do well in a dimly lit area, and in many cases even stay alive, if the light level is lower then 150 foot-candles. They should be places as near as possible to uncurtained windows but without having sunlight strike them. In this way any moisture on the frond will have evaporated by night.