Garden View: Hardworking ivy

The Holly and the Ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, The Holly bears the crown. Holly is much coveted festive greenery but what about ivy, or Hedera to give it the botanical name? It makes up the trio of festive plants, the other gutters because it will clog them, then infiltrate under tiles or slates. Ivy is excellent ground cover. It will scramble over areas of poor soil and brighten the ground between shrubs during the dark winter months. Persian ivy, Hedera If you have a garden-related business (flowers, greenhouses, sheds, tools, mowers, etc) please contact Village Tweet today. We will place your ad in our popular Garden section Garden View Hardworking ivy being mistletoe, and frankly colchica, Dentata it's usually seen as a bit of Variegata, is lovely because a poor relation, of its large, yellow-edged misunderstood and mostly leaves. Hedera canariensis, unloved. Gloire de Marengo, is also

Yet ivy is a great workhorse good. Its red stems and large in the garden. It’s evergreen, leaves with splashes of it attracts wildlife and is yellow looks rather splendid. excellent on those north- If you need an area covered facing walls and fences where quickly try Hedera Hibernica, nothing else seems to grow. which is a vigorous native ivy. It’s not just a dark green cloak Hedera helix (pictured) is either; there are many the other native ivy and this cultivars with different leaf one has numerous cultivars shapes and variegated including Goldheart, which foliage. The variegated has yellow-centred leaves, varieties are great in those areas that catch just a Green Ripple, with frilly edged leaves and little sunlight during part of the day as they ‘Buttercup’ which is bright yellow. suddenly seem to illuminate a usually dull spot. If you love to support the wildlife in your

Ivy is great for disguising an ugly wall, a bare garden, then ivy is a terrific plant. During autumn fence, or an old tree stump. It’s a reliable and and early winter adult ivies produce small self-clinging climber if you choose the right greenish-yellow flowers. These are especially variety and remember to prune it correctly. The rich in nectar so attract bees, butterflies, young climbing stems are slender and flexible hoverflies, and other insects, providing them with with small aerial roots that fix the shoot to a a place to overwinter. Birds like thrushes, surface. Adult stems are thicker, self-supporting blackbirds and robins enjoy the purple black and do not have roots. Unlike mistletoe, ivy isn't berries which ripen from late winter to mid-spring, parasitic so won’t harm trees but be careful about providing a much-needed winter food source. letting it grow on the walls of your house as it will I hope I’ve made a good case for growing ivy damage weak mortar and pebbledash. If growing in your garden. Holly might bear the crown, but I on a property it needs to be clipped back in reckon ivy deserves a tiara at the very least! spring and summer, so it doesn’t do any damage Happy gardening and Merry Christmas. to the structure underneath. Don’t let it get into Rachel Leverton

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