Many people leave their ferns year-on-year without cutting back the fronds, resulting in a messy specimen.
By simply removing the fronds, right to the woolly fists, it enlivens the plant and new growth will emerge in next to no time - uninterrupted from the previous years growth.
In just a few simple snips the fern is finished!
Once complete, the surrounding area has been enriched with some organic matter (lightly forked in). This space creates an opportunity to introduce some snowdrops (in the green); the 2 plants would then work in tandem. When the fern is dormant the snowdrops strut their stuff and when the snowdrops finish their display the fern is beginning to takeover the show and fills up the area whilst its partner is dormant. Simple eh!
The snowdrops will arrive around mid February, so I'm looking forward to introducing them; not only around the fern but to most deciduous shrubs that need some added colour around their base at this time of year.
Here, I already have a small group at the base of my Hydrangea petiolaris. This particular one is Galanthus 'S Arnott' which Fergus kindly gave when I was at Dixter. It's slow to bulk up but it's an absolute gem.
If you want something a little different to partner a deciduous shrub, you could use Arum italicum 'Marmoratum'.