Is Ivy taking over the planet?

I think you're supposed to cut stuff down in autumn if there are bats in it, l think they hibernate, l also think some all? are protected. I might be wrong. We don't have bats here just sharks and jackdaws - no ivy either.

My cottage garden walls were full of ivy, it trailed over the wall on to the side street, anyway caught the florist cutting huge clumps of it to put in her wedding bouquets, (I always thought it was supposed to be unlucky)- anyway she did a deal any presents I bought i would take to her & she would wrap up fancy 😊
Asked this fella to cut it all back, I was devastated to see it all scalped, my secret garden was all bare.. he said it would grow back! My god he was right, back thicker than ever. True it does get into the stone & brick work, it can even lift your roof tiles 😩

I think I'd better stagger out and cut a few more branches down.
I reckon the whole block will fall down if if don't do it.

The ivy nearly absorbed our brickwork. When it had to be removed to repair a shed roof, it took out a lot of the brickwork as well. The wall had to be partially rebuilt and entirely repointed.

i did not let the ivy grow back.

Bars, I suppose I'm lucky it wasn't iron ones.

I love watching the bats on summer evenings.
They fly round and round our one tree as if they're on a manic merrygoround.

I've always wondered where they went during the day, so now I know.

Bats 🤣

Bars - how exciting

I've cut a couple more branches through mine this evening.
More bats flew out.

Nearly "absorbed" my cottage.

Plants are good for the planet, though.
They absorb "things".

It’s just occurred to me that whilst the Ivy from the house at the end of my garden is a trial, threatening my new fence - it’s less infuriating than their leylandi. The owners are the third house owners - guess who has paid to cut them back. They’re now saying no thanks let them grow. The ones in their garden that have been let grow are now higher than our houses aaargh

Ivy is a real pest - and don't get me started on mistletoe! Both are rampant where we live.....

I have some ivy at the very bottom of my garden, but I keep it in check as I use it for flower arrangements. But today I noticed there are little ivy babies coming up in some of my pots of bulbs, that are nowhere near the main plant. I suppose the birds must transfer the seeds.

Thats why I'm loathe to chop down my ivy.
It seems a pity, when it is thriving.

Rewilding, be careful what we wish for!

My son tells me it's due to the excess C02 in the atmosphere - it must thrive on it. It's rampent around here.

I want to keep the plant itself, but there are so many tendrils which have grown into trees, almost.

I keep going out and cutting through one or two at a time.
Hopefully it'll work eventually.

Best way to remove ivy is to cut it off at the base and wait for.it to die, it comes.off.very easily then

MissAdventure

Thank you.
It sounds rather nice.

It looks messy 🙂
It's not in my garden, but in an AONB it needs controlling imo.

Convolvulus aka bindweed keep appearing and reappearing in my garden. It's very difficult to eradicate.

Much as I like ivy for flower arrangements and for Christmas decorations - it can be a real nuisance in the garden .
When I first took over my father's garden - it had dragged down a fence , climbed up the back of the house and covered a laburnum tree .
It's been a battle to get rid of it .
I've spent weeks pulling it up and finally I've covered the roots in thick black plastic bags to kill it .
Very few people keep nice front gardens where I live . Many are choked with trees and shrubs , which spill over onto the pavement .
Or they are paved over for cars .
The back gardens usually have plain grass and a trampoline for children and big patios .
I admire the patios and certainly would like one !

There have been heated arguments about overgrown gardens .
I'm trying to get my neighbour to do something about his - it's about 35 years of neglect and if I dare say something he loses his temper and shouts at me .
My neighbour on the other side has had endless discussions with her neighbour about their
overgrown trees and shrubs . They rent their house and claim that it's the landlord's responsibility .

Brambles, jasmine and wild clematis are other thugs that are taking over.

The ivy in my garden can be a bit of a nuisance, but it's not out of control (yet), thank goodness.

Here, it is moss which is spreading over everything.

Ivy drives you nuts, I rip it out all the time. Also that bloody wandering tradescantia and oxalis. I drag out bucketloads nearly every week,sick of it.

Yes Old Man's Beard also called Traveller's Joy is a form of wild Clematis Callistemon. It seems to have gone rampant in the past few years, suddenly appears from nowhere and then grows over everything along the ground and up trees and bushes eventually killing some of them. Its stems entwine and go hard and you have to hack it down.

Thank you.
It sounds rather nice.