(24869) It looks like a bracken fern to me. This is a wild fern (possibly dropped by birds). If this IS a bracken fern, beware as it could spread all over your garden by spores on the underside of the fronds. However, it may not be!!

Not sure what the second pic is.

You could be right about that. I found it in the garden at the house where I used to live, and brought in here in a pot, then planted into the ground. It had just shown up by itself, so most likely a wild thing. Easy to grow, but hasn't spread.

Hello Jonathon

The fern looks like either a Japanese Shield fern or a soft shield fern
The Japanese shield fern usually grows to 2ft
and
the Soft shield fern grows to 4ft.
Hope that this helps you
Marjorie

It is about 2 ft high. If it is Japanese then it cannot be wild and native.

Hi Jonathan, the second photo, not sure what its called but I think you put it in hanging baskets ( not much help am I-- blame the weather!)

Yes a basket thing. But I want to grow it on the ground, so need a name so that I can find out if slugs will be a threat to it.

The second one is Helichrysum petiolatum

The fern is definitely not Bracken. It looks like Dryopteris affinis (Male Fern)

Many thanks indeed Fractal. I had a feeling it was a Dryopteris.

so do you think slugs are a problem?

I still haven't found out. I'll have to keep a vigil and watch the little things.