The George Soper Fern Collection

19/07/2026

Very peaceful at the Fernery today. Giving some special plants a bit of life-saving water. Lots of people visiting.

19/07/2026

19/07/2026

Many of the ferns at the Fernery are struggling, as there is less shade or water than 160 years ago. The volunteers are keeping plants alive through the drought and hosepipe ban by watering by hand with cans.
The Royal Fern, believed to be 160 year old plant is doing ok as it's near the centre of the zigzag bed.
Second picture is a Soper fern collection Male Fern that last year had a long narrow form. It is struggling this year, in fact I thought we'd lost it over winter. It is coming back tho and I hope will look more interesting as time goes on.
Final picture shows a couple of Polystichum from the Barrie Stevenson collection donated a while back.
Pleas follow and forward. Colin Adlam

19/07/2026

Notice: Meta keep telling me that I can improve my interactions by advertising. I'm not going to do that!
If you enjoy the story then do Follow and Forward the post to fern or history liking people you know. Many Thanks Colin

30/06/2026

George Soper was born in May 1870 in what is now Stoke Newington but was then variously described on his parents 1871 Census return as Hornsey or South Hornsey, Middlesex. Locations seem to depend on whether you were quoting Parish or civil boundaries. He was Baptised in July of that year with his parents George Robert and Elizabelth listed as living in Victoria Road. A place hard to find as Google Maps don’t display or find what is now called Victorian Road.

Half of this road is now 20th century developed estate, perhaps after war damage. The half nearest Stoke Newington High Street is filled on the south side by impressive blocks of flats dating from 1903. Coronation Avenue and Imperial Avenue, see photographs, celebrate King Edward VII ascending the throne in 1901.

George and Ada Lehany had married in Hackney in 1897 but by the time of the birth of their daughter Eva in 1901 the family were in Palmers Green. When Eva was born her parents were listed as living at Palmers Green but her Baptism was in Stoke Newington.

Their second daughter, Eileen, was born in Enfield, Middlesex in 1905. George, Eva, and especially Eileen all went on to be highly respected artists in their fields.
Colin Adlam

26/06/2026

I will write more soon on the story of the fern collection and the connected Pteridologists in the Welwyn, Hertfordshire district. Meanwhile, here are some Royal Worcester ceramic bird models created by George's eldest daughter Eva Soper. Do follow if you want to learn more.
Colin Adlam

12/06/2026

This isn't all George Soper Fern Collection ferns. We've added a few of his ferns, some in one particular area near a new path.
Please follow if you like. :-)
Danesbury Fernery

11/06/2026

Part of the collection at The Danesbury Fernery. Very large Harts tongue, lovely shaded colour Polystichum, and I thought we had lost the little fern. If it comes up like last year it has a quite narrow form. After the heat and the open days we now have June rain. Go figure.

25/05/2026

HOME - 58 Harmer Green Lane
The house that George had built, in which he, his wife Ada and their two daughters Eva and Eileen loved is no longer to be seen. Subject to purchase in 2024, a planning application, and ultimately demolition; it was a modest house with an artists studio. George and the family had been living in North London and decided to move out to the tranquil countryside east of the village of Welwyn, Hertfordshire. He designed and had built the house on land in what is now Digswell, Hertfordshire in 1907/8.

FERNS
It has been documented that George had a fern collection but little is known about its origins or content. George does not seem to have been a member of the UK’s main fern organisation, the British Pteridological Society, from looking at their early 20th century minute book. It’s likely that he knew about it as a contemporary and near neighbour, Thomas Bates Blow, was a member and became a national committee member in the years before WWII. That however is getting ahead of ourselves.

On the outskirts of Welwyn, Hertfordshire, is a recovered fernery that had been abandoned for 90 years. The Danesbury Fernery is in the parkland, now a Local Nature Reserve, of the house of the same name. The head gardener at the time of completion of the Fernery in 1860 was Anthony Parsons. He had been tasked to build the Fernery in a dell near the house. Before the Fernery was built a small boy wandered through to visit and it started his lifelong love of and collection of ferns. The boy was Thomas Bates Blow and he credits that meeting with starting his passion for ferns. He wrote later in the 1930s, on a visit after it’s completion, of being sent to the nearby river to catch fish for the Fernery water feature.

To be continued...