Ivy, friend or foe?

I made a "rustic" looking log planter/raised bed on my front garden and planted four small clumps of ivy to part cover the log planter.

Now the ivy has grown and it started to climb up my house. Ive ripped chunks out and left it growing down over the side of the planter. Should I have just ripped it out to stop it taking over or can I continue with thinning it out when it becomes too much? :confused:

I'm fairly new to gardening and to ivy, I previously hated it but planted it as I needed a quick cover up to help the raised planter blend in

 

Get rid of the Ivy and put in some Aubretias instead.

 

Oooo and this is evergreen too isnt it? I'm not very familiar with it but i'm almost certain my mum grew this along our wall planters when we were kids. They're great for butterflies too Wicked, thanks, I'll look into that more

 

Hi Forget me not,

I am a fan of Ivy, but with it comes problems and to be continuously and unceasingly tended. For some people it is too much like hard work and doesn`t repay the effort. I disagree, in the right place with the right care and attention it is a gorgeous plant.

From your information it needs to come off your house immediately, and quite frankly if it is that near your house you need to get rid of it. Choose instead another much less vigorous creeper. It`s in the wrong place there. I have ivy, but it grows along a brick wall that is approx 30m in length and it is planted at the far end, and even I have to cut it right back every other year.

 

Myosotis:D:D you can get them in different colours nowadays, too.:thumb:

 

OoOOOOooooo lol. I love forget-me-nots! Ah, I really would love some "flowery" plants in there too. Ive got carex (i think) and um...black grass in there with it. I find the overall look is too hard, needs softening up and some colour bringing in

Yes, ive taken the ivy off the house, I think I underestimated how easily it would grow up the planter and onto my house. Apparently its like cancer for brickwork. scary thought. How about Ivy with wood? My daughter is having a tower playhouse put up next week, she wants ivy growing up the legs...would you advise against this? It is at the very bottom of the garden away from the house

 

Hi Chuck-I have ONE ivy growing up the play area -you know one of those all in one swing and slide things and apart from the spiders who live in it it does well. Again though it needs to be cut right back evry couplof years-but that is because I prefer mine to look fresh and vibrant. Old uncared for ivy looks bad and this is what gives it its bad rep. As far as it being cancer for brickwork-don`t tell my wall that-the ivy has been holding it together for a very long time now. If you are prepared to cut it back when it needs it then put it in. I`m glad there is a little girl out there that likes it too.

 

lol I guess the thing with ivy and brick work is that its bad for houses? I'm not really sure but your comment about the wall made me laugh

I think I'll take a chance with it, it cant do too much damage there, It should be ok to keep on top of

 

Holy crap! No one told me ivy was such a pain to remove!!! lol, I've dug it out and planted some...*goes to fetch the label* cerastium tomentosum or snow in summer...have I gone and done the same thing again? I've read that it is classed as a weed? :(

 

Holey Moley-I know!!!


And the spiders you get on yourself.



Don`t worry too much about the cerastium, it`s not that bad, just keep an eye on it-and how many did you put there-not 5/6 I hope?! LOL

 

Ivy is a gorgeous plant, that should be respected and revered. It is also a thug, so one has to be extra careful about where and why to plant it. That said there are places where nothing grows, horrid sheds that is sad to let in plain sight, old tree stump too tough to remove, with the ground around them so dry and poor that nothing grows, or places too shady where more frail plants refuse to thrives. There I think Ivy is a salvation. Wherever it is it looks fresh, voluptously lush and lively, and it is just a joy. Put it whre it can scramble free and bloom and make it's lovely blue berries. They are the last berries to make it through the winter, the last resource for hungry birds (but they are bad for humans). If you can let it grow in freedom and dignity it's a wondrous plant. But if it will get in the ways, and you must hack it and cut it all the time it will just look shabby, so plant something less invasive.

 

no no no, I planted 3 small clumps. one at each end of my raised bed and one other on the right side in the corner as there is more bare earth there so gave it an extra clump

Ivory, I go really like ivy, I had never seen its advantages before. It certainly does its job, just doesnt know when to stop :P I plan on using it at the back of the rear garden where it can be allowed to grow and wont cause too much trouble. I didnt know ivy had berries tho

 

It does make berry, but only in very mature age. At that stage though, it is a majestic sight. I used to live some 50 meters from an old italian villa with a huge ancient park around it and the border wall was covered in Ivy, wild, unkempt and beautiful. When blooming it was buzzing with bees (ivy honey is pure white), and all through winter the blue berries were like a Xmas wreath all over the old stones. Very beautiful.

 

Im not a fan of ivy, Probably due to frequently spening time geting coverd in old leaves, dust and spiders scrapeing it off walls when its got out of control.

 

Pro-LOL, I do feel for you sometimes. Weedkiller, ivy, all the bad stuff that comes with gardening. But as I cut mine back this year I can`t even post a pic of when in my opinion it looks gorgeous-the season after a hard prune.. Next year it will.

Just a quickie-spiders? A big strapping lad like yourself?