Are you looking for a leafy way to screen a room or add privacy to a porch, patio, or terrace? If so, consider building a fern wall.

On a recent trip I came across this ingenious vertical structure, built specifically to house a dozen or more pots of Boston ferns.

The construction was really pretty simple. It was basically a tall trellis with window box like crosspieces mounted between the upright 2x4 boards. 

The crosspieces were also set at a slight angle so that pots could easily be slipped in and out, allowing the ferns to cantilever over each to create a solid wall of fronds.

To make watering easier, a drip system was tucked in behind the ferns to water each pot separately. This way all the plants got an equal amount of water and there was no runoff onto the floor.

Liquid fertilizer could also be added to the water when the ferns needed it, keeping them in perfect condition. Although this wall was set up inside a greenhouse, it would work just as well outdoors in a shady location.

 

Of course, if you don’t have the time or inclination to build a wooden structure, you can easily screen a view using plant stands.

Here, for example, I used a collection of old wire stands to create a temporary and mobile fern screen at the edge of my outdoor courtyard.

It looked great packed with large Boston ferns. The trio gave our patio an extra dose of privacy. Macho, Kangeroo, Bird's Nest, or Kimberly Queen ferns would also be beautiful leafy options. 

If you like, you could also mix ferns with other vining shade-dwellers such as philodendron, pothos, or arrowhead plant.