Question
I have two large beautiful queen anne ferns that were on my terrace in Cleveland, Ohio.  I have since moved to Washington, DC and brought them with me.  How can I over winter them?  Or should I toss them out a start new next spring.  Thanks.

Answer
David,

Every plant has an official Latin name that nurseries should use but many don't bother. Therefore most plants end up with many common names that vary in different parts of the country.
"Queen Anne" Fern is one of those common names that the nursery you bought your ferns from may have given your fern and it is known by other names elsewhere. At any rate "Queen Anne" Fern has not become common enough for me to find it on the Internet so I can identify the type of fern it is so I can help you. In Ohio how would you have wintered them over? If you send a picture of them to me I will be able to ID the type of fern it is.

In general you should probably keep them indoors in a cool room. Keep them evenly moist but not too wet. Do not leave a lot of water in the drain tray. They like high humidity so you may want to put a humidity tray under them or mist them regularly.  Good luck!


Darlene