Bergeby, of all the ferns, this one might be the easiest to grow inside. I love BNFs and think that they are very striking. Take a hint at the type of habitat in which ferns thrive in nature and give them a peat/bark based potting medium. Since the mix should be kept moist, it must be coarse textured and fast draining. 'Most' potting media on the market don't fit that description without some altering. Amendments like bark fines would be a plus. Some commercial mixes are made with pine bark as the primary ingredient and those are great. Do not purchase a potting soil declaring 'moisture ' control and please don't underpot your plant. As far as watering goes, no one can give you a schedule. Ever! You need to use your fingers to dig around into the soil to feel for moistness. Here are some of the factors that influence the need for watering: type of plant, type of potting medium, type of container, size of plant in relation to container, temperature of the room, humidity levels, time of year, amount of light, plant vigor. Holy cow! Once you gain some experience, you will be able to judge the need for watering simply by lifting the pot to judge its weight. The coarser your mix, the more forgiving to overwatering. All plants grown in a container will require fertilization from you. That is a given. Beware of scale insects on ferns. They are kept under control at the grower's greenhouses by chemicals and may pop up after being in the garden center and your home for a few weeks. Scale insects are a real threat to indoor ferns, as they can be sensitive to common solutions used to control pests on indoor plants.

Thanks for posting this Joyce. Think I'll see if I can make it to the first one. dell

Scully, yep - we are a bit warmer here, but it's the overnight hard freezes that crack birdbath basins. On cold winter days, if I notice an ice skim forming, I'll add warm water too, but if I'm gone for the day the risk of freezeover escalates. The heater works 24/7. We've had a warm fall too, but if the Old Farmers Almanac is right, once it gets here, we're in for it this winter. Btw - Everytime I open this thread I get a mental picture of Woodstock ice skating on the birdbath - brings a smile to my face ....... thanks! Another little aside is that in the heat of summer, I take a pitcher full of ice cubes out to the birdbath - the flapping about definitely increases when I cool it down! :o) Love my birds!

I am trying to attract insect eaters too. I started growing mountain mint (not a mint but a native) and New Jersey tea. Next year hope to add sweet cicily. These plants are recommended in making an insectivary (attracts a lot of insects). THe plants were recommended for attracting beneficial insects but they should also attract hoards of bugs in general and hopefully bring in the warblers.