IATFG Meeting: Churchtown Botanic Garden

The IATFG had its first fernery visit on 29 April 2022, the day before the BPS AGM at Edge Hill University. The fernery in Churchtown Botanic Gardens, Southport, has become one of the best-maintained and best-stocked heated ferneries in the country. Much of the restoration and development of the fernery has been led by Michael Hayward, who lives locally, with volunteers from both the BPS and the Botanic Gardens

Community Association (BGCA) in association with Sefton Council. On a very pleasant sunny Friday, sixteen members of the IATFG, BGCA and some friends and relatives, met outside the fernery where Michael Hayward gave a brief history of the building. It had originally been part of a huge glass conservatory, which has now been demolished. The building was re-roofed in the 2000s and, over the past decade, many of the plants had been donated by members of the BPS and by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

The building is heated by hot-water pipes during winter months and a minimum of 10 °C is aimed for. Unfortunately, the boiler has not been one hundred percent reliable. Overnight temperatures have occasionally dropped to 4–5 °C and electric heaters have had to be brought into use. The roof is fully-glazed and white-washed but there is no moveable sun shielding.

Humidity is provided by standing water in several places and a restored central fountain. An obsolete misting system has been removed and watering is by hand and hosepipe. Ventilation is difficult to control as the winding mechanism for the rooflights has become rusted.

Inside the building the temperature was tropical. Many ferns had grown to enormous proportions in comparison with what many of us could achieve at home. There were many different species of tree ferns, at least five species of Dicksonia, six Cyathea types and four Cibotium, in addition to a large Ptisana salicina (syn. Marattia salicina) and an Angiopteris evecta. Many of the wall pockets had been repaired and stocked with epiphytic ferns and some attractive Epiphyllum, which were in flower. Platycerium veitchii grew high on the walls in the sunlight through the glass roof and there were specimens of P. alcicorne, P. bifurcatum and P. ellisii. There were large stands of pale green Microlepia platyphylla and Phegopteris decursivepinnata, showing the benefit of winter protection for a borderline hardy fern. Three different Blechnum species thrived in the warmth as did eleven species of Pteris.

The central fountain had been repaired and added to the humidity of the fernery. The fountain had been planted with Adiantum capillus-veneris, which was growing well in the dripping water, and Marsilea quadrifolia thrived at the pond edge.

Alison Evans told us that there were now over 100 different ferns in the Fernery, mainly from donations. Since our visit, Alison has surveyed the plants and has brought the list of species up to date. This list shows just how large and extensive the collection is at Southport. As the first fernery visit for the IATFG, it was a great success!

MATTHEW REEVE

Matthew is an amateur pteridomaniac with a passion of tropical, tender and aquatic ferns. He works in theatre as a musical director and composer. He recently joined the BPS committee and co-leads the Tropical and Indoor Fern Group with Peter Blake.