The best place to keep a Boston fern outdoors is in a hanging ... you can repot if it shows signs of being too crowded in the pot, (such as your fern needs watered more and more frequently).

Autumn ferns can be grown in both pots and in the ground, but it is best to avoid direct sun ... including the Boston fern, asparagus fern and the hare-foot fern. Ferns can look just as good ...

Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is also known as sword fern and is often found in pots or hanging baskets as it thrives in such containers. In the landscape, it makes a great groundcover.