While I prefer to let the garden do its thing with minimal attention to detail, some editing is necessary. Happy plants thrive, so branches might stray too far, and seedlings and sporelings occasionally must be weeded out. I think most gardeners interfere excessively, but in this garden less is best.

Over thirty-four years, I’ve messed up more than a few times, killed prized plants and forgotten others. I’ve learned lessons, ignored too many, but the garden works things out, mostly on its own. My role here is to watch and enjoy, pull a few weeds and prevent disasters.

Each year, ferns become more abundant, with a notable gain this spring in native Sensitive ferns (Onoclea sensibilis, above) that occasionally must be snipped so that smaller neighbors are not overwhelmed. With this spring’s growth, hostas and orchids were lost beneath the arching fronds. A few snips cleared the overly vigorous growth, but I must watch since this fern will continue to grow in a damp summer.

Sporelings of Japanese Painted fern (Athyrium niponicum,above) are slightly less rampant but always sneaking into cracks between stone paving along with seedlings of the red leafed ‘Espresso’ geranium (Geranium maculatum ‘Espresso’, below). While geraniums vary, but are rarely as colorful as the parent, Painted fern variations are glorious in varying colors. Sensitive ferns and tiny geraniums are often pulled and discarded, but Painted ferns are nurtured, then moved if they pop up inconveniently.

My role as editor is to allow liberal independence, but to monitor and move or remove to encourage best growth for all. Sometimes, a snip here and there is necessary to keep neighbors from fighting, and fortunately, tiny seedlings are easily removed if caught early on.

While I must monitor the spread of Sensitive ferns to protect small hostas and terrestrial orchids, I must also look after plants that once thrived until increasing shade diminished their vigor. Several peonies now require sunnier locations for better flowering. Clumps of calanthe and bletilla orchids (above) that were divided and transplanted will soon suffer from proximity to taller neighbors, so these must be moved.