tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437828483628196880.post2602470543437624642..comments2023-09-25T02:23:39.803-07:00Comments on Garden Photo Today: A green thumb and a gold heartMartha Smith Tatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790579950460365943noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437828483628196880.post-39102532830618980692012-01-03T06:58:06.754-08:002012-01-03T06:58:06.754-08:00You are absolutely right. Planting Hedera helix i...You are absolutely right. Planting Hedera helix is crazy and asking for it. Luckily, Margaret has a great helper who has the 'Gold Heart' under control. I have several variegated ivies, all planted on the ground, and they have never leapt and seem never to grow. But, when I moved onto these four acres, many ground areas were covered in ivy. Ditto the trees. I've managed to get all the ivy off the trees, and now I'm surreptitiously working on the neighbors' trees. I have a much worse problem with wisteria, but I've made some headway there. And, what a good point about moving away and leaving English ivy out of control. For me, compared to wisteria, it's a cinch to pull up. At the farm, I battle kudzu and privet. So many invaders!Martha Smith Tatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790579950460365943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437828483628196880.post-80928562859612224592012-01-02T08:42:37.128-08:002012-01-02T08:42:37.128-08:00Please don't plant Hedera helix. It is indeed...Please don't plant Hedera helix. It is indeed beautiful. And the picture you show is absolutely top notch. But see how Margaret has to keep beating it back? Well, when she is unable to keep it up, the ivy will go sky-high and bloom. The birds will love it's pretty black seeds, and poop them out all over. I'm afraid most of the time ivy is rampant, and being evergreen it carpets the woodlands. Our little ephemerals, like Hepatica and Trout Lily, won't survive that sort of competition. <br><br>We recommend Virginia Creeper instead- since it goes dormant in winter the other plants can get sunlight when they are due it. Besides, the fall color is so fabulous. <br><br>The problem is not, on the surface, with conscientious gardeners, but with those who eventually neglect their duty at keeping their ivy from going to seed. Or who move house, and are no longer around to do so. Someone else may move in who has no idea.Connie Hogehttp://gardentotable.netnoreply@blogger.com