About Ferns

• Ferns thrive in damp, shady conditions.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Ferns are at home in most garden environments. They are also ornamental, indoor plant features. There are hundreds of fern varieties available for home gardeners. Plant ferns in damp, boggy or pond environments, shady wooded areas of the yard or full-sun locations. They are easily maintained and spread by reseeding from spores or underground rhizomes. Attractive fern fronds make them suitable architectural plants for gardens, providing shape and form at the front of flowerbeds and under heavy shrub plantings.
  
  

Growing Ferns

• Common fern varieties are Boston, maidenhair, cinnamon and horsetail. Ferns are easy to grow, do not succumb to disease and are not bothered by pests. Ferns grow best in acidic soils, similar to that found in the woodland environment and thrive in 100 percent peat moss or a 75 percent peat moss and 25 percent sand mixture, as long as adequate drainage is available.
  
  

About Grasses

• Pampas grass is a common ornamental grass.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Ornamental grasses are useful features for many areas of the garden, ranging in size, texture and type of flower or seedhead. Common ornamental grasses include pampas, perennial fountain grass, switchgrass, plume grass, blue fescue and ribbon grass. Grasses are used in different garden locations, Alpine gardens, under perennial shrubs and border plantings, and highlight areas or different aspects.
  
  

Growing Grasses

• Grasses are easy to grow and thrive in poor soil conditions. Fertilizers, such as nitrogen, ensure vigorous plant growth. Grasses also benefit from regular mulching. Grasses grow large and plants may need dividing in the early spring or late summer or fall, as the plant's center dies down. Grasses do not need cutting back in winter, as any growth protects the crown of the plant from frost or snow damage.