     Master Gardener Ernest Arvesen made the most of a low spot in the cleared portion of the McFarlane woods by planting it with evergreen ferns and assorted small shrubs.   This river of ferns implies a waterway where there is none.
     A bridge provides an overlook from an adjacent pathway.
    The swale has become home to several old gates found on the property, added for visual interest.
Ernest Arvesen, a longtime volunteer at McFarlane, passed away in November 2017, leaving us with his horticultural legacy that includes a small grove of chalk maples from his own garden and the fern swale. A dogwood tree has been planted in his honor.