Fern Garden
click on the mp3 to listen to me talking about the fern garden
I've mentioned the Fern garden before, but I hadn't toured around during the day. This week I visited Jenny's family's nature conservancy garden of indigenous Taiwanese ferns- representing close to 300 of the almost 700 native species endemic to Isla Formosa. It's inside Yangmingshan National Park, just north of Taipei city; a very tranquil and verdant mountain oasis, away from all the hustle bustle of concrete city life.
They've put a lot of effort into the details. Even the wrought iron gates look like ferns, curling and twining over the rocks. We started near the front gate and worked our way up the hillside, following the contours around the slope. The undergrowth is pretty dense, and a vivid palette of greens make up the verdure. Apparently it rains more in the summer, but the last 4 weeks of rain have made the foliage lush and full.
The garden features were installed with particular consideration for the native habitat, so many of the paths are elevated to allow forest floor critters and bugs passage underneath. All the wood used is native and endemic, or recycled lumber scraps and salvaged railroad ties. Each section has an individual style and feel since they were all constructed at different times, as materials became available.
The Hsu family built this garden progressively, their mission to conserve the local habitat that represents Yangmingshan with an emphasis on ferns which make up the majority of the plants. Another mission for the garden is education, and as such they host nature groups and classes in a delightful outdoor terraced area, heavily shaded by the dense canopy. In addition there is a enclosed gazebo where one can take refuge during inclement weather or rest and take advantage of their small refreshment counter which serves up cool drinks and perfectly frothy cappuccinos. A spiraling wrought iron fern staircase leads to the deck patio above where you can see all the way down to Danshui and the river.
Small grottoes with cool ponds and small rocky streams provide aquatic homes to the dragonflies(?), frogs, and newts. In the distance you can hear the birds mocking and whistling to each other. I even saw a couple of large raptors- didn't have my glasses so not sure exactly what kind...
Continuing up the hill, we stopped by the kitchen garden patch (mostly dormant for the winter) and the chicken run where the flock of chickens scurried around pecking at the bugs and grubs. They're the special Taiwanese mountain chickens that lay large creamy pink eggs- pretty enough for Easter. We peeked into the nesting box where a broody hen was setting some eggs. Careful, don't disturb her, she looks pretty nervous.
Then we wandered into the neighboring plot which is the largest private single person cemetery in Taiwan, for the mother of the guy who started the first Taiwanese cruise line. It's secluded and private and very manicured compared with the fern garden.
Well worth a visit.