John Birkenhead 
Ferns and Fern Culture 

This Vintage Words of Wisdom title was published in 1892 at the height of the fern craze that swept Victorian society. Ferns and Fern Culture provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of growing ferns that remains relevant today and, we think, will inspire the modern reader to consider these wonderful plants for their living room, garden, terrace or greenhouse.The nineteenth-century vogue for ferns was encouraged by the development of the railways that permitted town-dwellers to travel into the countryside to seek out the best specimens and return them to their gardens, rockeries, ferneries and Wardian cases. This resulted in the destruction of many natural habitats as woods, valleys and glens were plundered for their ferns and, in an attempt to meet the demand, an opportunity arose for fern nurseries to set up and provide a variety of UK and imported plants. John Birkenhead, the author of this guide to fern culture, went into business with his brother and established a fern nursery near Manchester that grew to become the largest and best known of its kind in the world. Profusely illustrated with detailed pictures of ferns and exquisite typographical decorations, the book highlights the deep knowledge of its author. To assist the reader and enthusiast it contains lists of different types of ferns and offers detailed advice on growing ferns, their upkeep and propagation. A reviewer of the time, writing in the Gardener’s Chronicle, described Ferns and Fern Culture as a book ‘That no amateur can well dispense with’. Whether you consider yourself an amateur, a professional or just someone with an interest, this book will inspire you to grow everything from the fragile and beautiful maidenhair fern to staghorn ferns and tree ferns.