Q: I have some lovely Boston ferns that I try every year to keep in the garage over the cold weather. This year, I took the poor, pitiful survivors of the garage and planted them in the ground. They just did great! Can I leave them in the ground or do I have to bring them in?

A: Boston ferns won’t survive outdoors no matter how much you mulch them. If you have room indoors you could get a 23 watt (100 watt equivalent) compact fluorescent bulb and put it in an aluminum dome shop light to keep them happy indoors. I have more information at bit.ly/bostonfern