In some European countries it is believed that ferns protect us from evil. For others it symbolizes rebirth. And I have no idea where I got it from, or it was some strange story I heard as a kid, but I had negative association with it. The opposite what others believe.
Don't ask; I don't remember.
But ferns are beautiful! I have one growing in a pot, and maybe one day I will shoot it. It has beautiful, delicate leaves.
The one here grows in the garden. I don't remember where it came from, but for many, many years it has always been in the same spot.
And every fall it turns into a brown pile of mess and completely disappears. In spring it slowly starts to emerge from the soil. The leaves uncoil growing longer and wider. The way they grow is pretty amazing actually and I always loved to see the curled up leaves before they grow.
Another folk story about a fern flower, and this one I heard since I was a kid too. The fern will bloom only one night a year, and one is supposed to go to the woods in the middle of the night and find it. I don't think many people do it, but it is supposed to be good for ya.
Except that ferns do not bloom, sucker! :D
So good luck finding one.
They produce tiny spores under the leaves, and when they drop to the soil, a new plant will grow. A bit like a seed, though it is not a seed.
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.