1. 1  a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout. 2  work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy. 3  a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation.
Unfurling fiddlehead fern frond. A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the large leaves of cycads and palms (Arecaceae).
Overview. The new growth of most ferns is called a fiddle head. These coiled, new fronds look very much like the decorative scrolled end on a fiddle. While all ferns have fiddle heads, the name is usually associated with the edible ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris).oil. Ferns of all kinds thrive in rich organic soil. When they are planted underneath trees they will benefit from decaying leaf matter. They prefer a slightly acidic soil PH around 5.5 to 6.0, which is easily achieved with leaf compost.