This fern is deciduous so all its fronds will die back in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again each spring.

• Position: partial shade to full shade
• Soil: moist, but well-drained humus-rich soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Hardiness: borderline frost hardy (will need winter protection)
  
  This pretty fern has slender, finger-like fronds, each of which has a ruffled trim and a cream and green variegation. Forming on a slowly spreading rhizome and topping slender stems, they create a rather lacy, ethereal effect. Often retaining some (if not all) of its fronds throughout the winter in milder regions, it's happiest in a sheltered spot, but in colder regions, it can be grown in a pot and moved to an unheated greenhouse or conservatory when the temperatures start to drop.
  
  
• Garden care: Incorporate lots of well-rotted leaf mould or garden compost into the planting hole. Offer winter protection in colder regions. Cut back decayed fronds in winter to allow new growth to emerge.