Who doesn’t love ferns? Depending upon the variety and the environment in which they are placed, ferns can be elegant and stately or homey and casual. They are probably the most popular non-flowering plant today – certainly in South Georgia, where broad front porches are given an extra touch of hospitality with the addition of ferns.

At Rudy’s Happy Patch Market, ferns are a popular sale items and are also used to fill in spaces and add a unique leafy texture to displays. Perry Wellness Center founder and CEO Stuart Perry is particularly fond of ferns, which bring back fond childhood memories.

“Since my father and mother started their greenhouses behind our house in Buena Vista, I have loved ferns,” Stuart explains. He enjoys seeing them in the market area and describes some of his favorites:

“The Boston ferns were first and sold well. Now I have bought 300 Macho ferns. They are larger but have the same care and watering times of other ferns. They are beautiful and liven up our campus and market.”

In the photo above, one of the campus greenhouses displays a variety of ferns and blooming plants.