To ivy or not to ivy.

[league67]

KTF said:

I hate ivy and have no idea why people insist on covering their property with the stuff when all it does it ruin the walls and get out of control unless you spend ages trimming it.

Thanks, not set on ivy at all. It came on top of google searches. Anything that can cover that ugly wall.

[Johnnytheboy]

Wisteria.

[iamrcb]

use fake ivy?

http://www.tenax.net/gardening/synthetic-hedges.ht...

[roogi]

I'm using wisteria to cover a similar garage wall. It'll need a bit of maintenance and will take a while to cover it, but the end result should be worth it.

[IainT]

Our neighbours had some ivy. Then we did. bds.

Took over the fence, previously tidy and lush border and apple tree. Impossible to remove without massive effort so we moved house.

[Nimby]

Virginia creeper can look gorgeous in the autumn and doesn't damage brickwork.

[cornet]

Green wall ?

http://blog.emap.com/footprint/2011/11/11/living-w...

Which uses http://www.econoplas.co.uk/aquadyne

[stanwan]

I use the same approach with ivy as I do with knot weed.

Spray all e leaves with a solution of sulphamate and detergent. One thick stumps drill a hole and pour some killer in.

Once it all withers you can pull it off. Blowtorch to clean up the little tendrils. Liberal amounts of sulphamate at the base of the stems to make sure it dies off underground.

So far it hasn't come back on the house....

[Rosscow]

IainT said:

Our neighbours had some ivy. Then we did. bds.

Took over the fence, previously tidy and lush border and apple tree. Impossible to remove without massive effort so we moved house.

That's a drastic measure!!!

[Johnnytheboy]

Nimby said:

Virginia creeper can look gorgeous in the autumn and doesn't damage brickwork.

I love VC and Boston Ivy but once it covers the area you want it to, you'd be cutting it every week or two.

[R26Chris]

Hoofy said:

Week 1:

Looks great.

Week 5:

Genuine LOL. Cheered my Friday afternoon up! Thanks

[outnumbered]

roogi said:

I'm using wisteria to cover a similar garage wall. It'll need a bit of maintenance

I'll say. Our previous house had 6 or 7 wisteria plants attempting to disguise a new garage and the stuff was absolutely manic, easily as bad as ivy. It needed hacking back at least twice a year, ended up growing under the roof and inside the garage etc. I got fed up in the end and chopped it all down..

[Rosscow]

As said above, Virginia Creeper or Boston Ivy is a good shout.

Uses sucker pads instead of roots so doesn't damage brickwork.

That plastic stuff looks like a good solution though!

[league67]

Johnnytheboy said:

Wisteria.

that looks awesome but it doesn't look like evergreen.

[Johnnytheboy]

No, it isn't.

[league67]

roogi said:

I'm using wisteria to cover a similar garage wall. It'll need a bit of maintenance and will take a while to cover it, but the end result should be worth it.

Hi roogi,

Would you mind taking the picture so I can have an actual idea how it looks like.

[RichB]

A few pointers; Wysteria is deciduous and requires pruning twice a year to keep in shape, else you will get a tangled mess. I agree ivy is pernicious stuff but it doesn't do any harm to modern brickwork or mortar so if you're prepared to contain it you could try a variegated variety something like a goldchild. You could try piliostegia viburnoides which is fully ever green, self clinging and has attractive white flowers which attract bees. Also worth a look for a north facing wall is hydrangea petiolaris which although it does drop leaves in winter looks good most of the year round.

[league67]

Johnnytheboy said:

No, it isn't.

Just seen your profile. Is it possible to have some evergreen climbers as a sort of background and then wisperia on top of it?

Thanks.

[league67]

RichB said:

A few pointers; Wysteria is deciduous and requires pruning twice a year to keep in shape, else you will get a tangled mess. I agree ivy is pernicious stuff but it doesn't do any harm to modern brickwork or mortar so if you're prepared to contain it you could try a variegated variety something like a goldchild. You could try piliostegia viburnoides which is fully ever green, self clinging and has attractive white flowers which attract bees. Also worth a look for a north facing wall is hydrangea petiolaris which although it does drop leaves in winter looks good most of the year round.

Thanks very much. After years of living in flats, think that I'm going to enjoy this new and improved horticultural me.

[RichB]

league67 said:

Johnnytheboy said:

No, it isn't.

Just seen your profile. Is it possible to have some evergreen climbers as a sort of background and then wisperia on top of it?

Thanks.

I'd forget wisteria for the side of a garage, it's a large growing plant and will require a wire support matrix to train it against.