Hi Inge,
I use 'Levington's Soil Improver and Mulch Peat Free'. It is an organic
soil conditioner made from composted bark (from renewable sources). It is
great in my woodland garden! I also use it mixed with John Innes No.2 for
many other applications.

After you've topped up your shade bed - and before planting your ferns -
allow the soil to settle or tread it to remove air pockets, otherwise it
will settle anyway after you've planted, and the bed will look sunken.

If you're becoming a fern fancier, you'd better start a compost heap and a
leaf-mould heap. Either will provide you with humus-rich material.

Spider






Inge Jones wrote in message
. ..

Hi, I'm going to buy some ferns that say they like "fertile, humus-rich,
well-drained soil". I am going to put them in a shady bed that needs
topping up with several bags of soil because it's little more than a
hole at the moment.

Given that I'm in a position to choose the soil, which of the various
bagged composts available do the people here think best suits the
description above?

Oh I finally "landscaped" my garden - I should put the pictures on my
site now (-: