Talkback: Ferns in pots

@dc73311 understanding that no plant prefers dry shade to damp shade is really useful, there are some plants that will survive it better though. Trial your plants or perhaps search out published lists for your particular location, personally I grow ferns, hardy geraniums, crocosmia, foxgloves, acquilegia and alchemilla mollis quite happily in dry shade under a rather large Laural and a 30ft Eucalyptus pauciflora that robs the entire area of moisture. Also my skimmia japonicas do nicely on little moisture and only direct sunlight for three hours and I have two achantus that I dare say would grow underneath six foot of concrete! You just can't kill these plants in my garden. My one essential is to mulch dry shade ery generously and good luck with yours!

@Greenthumb wannabe, I would move evergreen and deciduous ferns early spring, but you could catch me doing it late spring, if I dig up a good root-ball and water it through the summer until established. My soil is light so the digging up is never a hardship and I always mulch well and tend the moved plants through the driest months because my soil bakes like a cake without mulch. Good luck with yours.