Bob Payne, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, Wake County

The verdant greenery that ferns provide to shady locations is something any gardener would love to have for their own garden. But when it comes time to make your plans for filling up your landscape with ferns, you may start scratching your head when you realize that ferns don't even produce seeds. Not to worry! While the life cycles of ferns may be rather dissimilar to the cone-bearing and flowering plants we're used to, fern propagation is made fun and easy with a little bit of good-old-fashioned-know-how!

If you're new to horticulture and are curious about this unique and peculiar group of plants, or if you're a veteran gardener who's just reaching your "Fern Phase" (don't worry, we all go through it), this morning workshop at the JCRA is perfect for you! Bob Payne, Extension Master Gardener volunteer, will introduce you to words like 'gametophyte' and 'sporophyte', and relate them to the practical application of making more plants for your garden. You'll then have the chance to clean and sow spores and try your hand with division to get some hands-on experience in fern propagation.

Each participant will take home a variety of plants in various stages of development, so be sure to sign up today to secure your spot!

About Bob Payne
Bob Payne is an Extension Master Gardener volunteer in Wake County. He has been involved in gardening his entire life and inherited his love of plants from his mother. Bob has had gardens in New Mexico, Arizona, and Florida before moving to North Carolina almost 28 years ago. Faced with landscapes that have been dominated by large red and white oaks, he has come to enjoy the challenges and opportunities associated with shade gardening. He developed a particular interest in ferns and their propagation—a group of plants he feels that are underutilized and under appreciated. Bob has a B.S.Ag. (entomology/plant pathology) and B.S.N, from the University of Delaware and a M.H.A. from Duke University. He recently retired from Duke University Hospital where he worked as an operations administrator.

Questions
Contact the JCRA Education Team at [email protected] for more information about this program.

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