Last year (2005) I planted both an ostrich and leatherwood ferns in fairly large pots and placed on my patio. They never came up (not a peep). This year I was about the "recycle" those pots but lo and behold they had begun to show themselves after nearly exactly a year later.

Is this normal behavior for ferns of this type or ferns at all? I've gardened 4 decades but don't know the first thing about ferns. Please help me with figuring out why I'm seeing these 2 ferns 12 months after I planted them.