So we just bought our first home back in Nov. We have been working on the front yard which is overwhelming to say the least. There is this beautiful rock & cast iron wall or fence surrounding the front yard. It's a short fence like the rock part probably comes to my hips and then the cast iron about to my chest. There was lots of overgrown shrubs and trees blocking it so we tore that out this weekend. But now we have just big empty flower beds lining the wall on the inside (yard side). I could plant just flowers or small bushes but there already are big flower beds along the driving way and in front of the house. So I was kinda thinking Ivy? I don't know much about it so I'm not sure if I want it. I know it can grow like crazy so we would have to maintain it which is fine. I just thought it would look pretty to have a bed of ivy on the inside of that wall and then to let it grow around the wall too. I thought it would look pretty hanging on it. But i don't know. So is this a good idea or very bad?
Wow ok, no Ivy! LOL I guess I'm just not experienced at all when it comes to yard work. But thank you. You ladies gave me some good ideas for ground coverings and other plants that would work well.
Know that Ivy has a mind of its own. It will not stay where you want it. One of my many tasks for my grandma as a child was tearing off Ivy from the house and pulling it out of places it was not meant to be in.
I would not use ivy.. It will take over and go up your house too. Also don't walk in it if you do... varmits and snakes love it.
Get something that you can control... maybe a climbing rose, etc.
we've lived with ivy for 20+ years now. It is a love-hate relationship.
I love to look at it. I hate to maintain it. It will eat into the siding of the house. It keeps the ground moist...inviting creatures to live in it. (nothing freakier than a mouse/snake coming out to visit as you walk by....or work in it.) It will choke out all that lives around it....even the grass!
Every single year we have abused it. We have ripped it out. & every single year, it returns to haunt us.
I have to admit, though, it is instant curb appeal. It reeks of character. & it frames my rose bushes beautifully. Good Luck.
Oh, Oh, OH! We also have vinca which has a pretty little purple flower - great ground cover. Doesn't invade as heavily as ivy. We also have a ton of hostas & day lilies....hardy as can be, beautiful eye candy, & multiple like crazy! If you want bang for your buck...combine them all!
BEWARE OF IVY!!! I live in GA and our backyard is sooooo overgrown with English Ivy and we are having an incredibly hard time getting rid of it. Ivy has a mind of it's own and will take over your yard if you're not in control of it. I agree with Momma L, you should look into a flowering bush which might be more manageable. Good luck!
You can do ivy, or even a vining flowering bush. There are vining roses, honey suckle... lots of pretty options, though all will need maintenance to not get out of control and overgrown. I would go to a local nursery and see what plant would work well in the space in your climate, and one that is better to maintain. Before it gets big, you can get a border plant to plant in front of it if there is room.
Ivy would be awesome. I love it. Had a lot at our old house. The only thing is it DOES need to be trimmed, trained & maintained. It's not a plant it & forget it kind of plant!
Some of at the complaints made here about English Ivy will depend on your planting zone. I live in Zone 5, and while the Ivy is pretty vigorous here, it is not the problem that it would be in a milder climate. It goes dormant and suffers some die-back over the winter. It does require periodic trimming during the summer, but it is thick and lush and looks great.
Some of the plants that have been recommended (such as confederate jasmine) will not survive the colder winters where you live. Perhaps visit a good local garden center and see what they recommend.
It sounds to me like you mean ivy on the ground, but maybe you mean up the wall. Either way, it will soon be on the ground and kids love to prance around in ivy. I always tried to keep my daughter out of it because in the evenings I could see rats going in there. If you mean on the wall, creeping fig is beautiful and grows slowly so you can keep it cut back.
Congratulations on your new house!
