In my neighborhood lots of properties have little landscaping except a large swath of ivy, so I’m on a mission to keep people from destroying it for no good reason. To that end, here’s a before-and-after tribute to the successful garden use of this much-hated destroyer of woodlands.
The first shot is my house when I bought it in 1985 – tacky, huh? Yes, my cute 1925 Sears home had been tackified over the years. A gardener friend touring my new property pointed to the hideous chain-link fence and directed me to "Cover it with ivy," and I just followed orders. There was already ivy growing along the fence so it cost me nothing but the time it took to wrap it through the fence and then wait. And see the improvement in the photo taken 3 years later? Sure, it still took a while to get rid of the metal porch and the asbestos siding, but at least the fence had become a "fedge" – a cross between a fence and a hedge. I dredged up these old photos after a coachee of mine proudly showed me the bare earth where she’d removed all the ivy and asked me, "Now what should I grow to hide the chain-link fence?" And naturally with no budget. Aaargh!
This and lots of other instances prompted me to write about the use of ivy in the Hort Club Newsletter and for our new website. Despite my expectation of loud protest from the members, I received a couple of thank-you’s and that’s it. So, readers, any reaction?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Your picture speaks for itself. A big improvement!
From your article, it does sound like quite a task to keep in controlled!
Susan,
As a resident of your house from 1926-30 (ages 3-7!), I was very impressed with how this 1926 Sears Conway House has stood up over the decades and how you have improved the exterior view with the ivy hedge, trellis, plants and flowers.
Your interior modifications, also, represented visual improve-ments as well as greater utility.
Many thanks for providing time out in your busy schedule and allowing me to have a nostalgic trip to my early youth!
I will be filling our daugher – another Susan! – in on your role as a Gardening Coach. She lives for her garden!
Martin Huff