Depending upon the species selected, they can add a sense of structure by weaving and tying together trees, shrubs and other perennials into a connected garden. Ferns may be tall and upright, vase-shaped, short spreading carpets or miniature clumps on a moss covered rock. Some ferns are coarse in texture with large leaves, while others have finely cut leaves giving a delicate lacy appearance. Still others are covered in tiny hairs giving them a soft downy look and feel. Green is a Color Green is a color and ferns best illustrate all the many hues of green possible in a perennial.
Many species change color during the seasons.
One fern may begin as a rich deep green completing the season in a golden-tan. Another may have new growth in a pale green changing over to bronze-red when winter approaches. If you can find a nursery with a large selection of ferns, stand and look at the rows of different species. Some ferns, such as the Cinnamon or Sensitive, have separate stems carrying the fertile spores and are quite decorative. Colors can range from the tan or brown of the Cinnamon to the shiny olive-black of the Sensitive fern.