By Ms Sherry
Posted 11/19 at 08:19 AM
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Considered a menace by many in this country, ivy is almost a landscape feature in the English country side. As we drove through many of the small villages I noticed houses virtually covered with it. From my photographs, a local plant enthusiast was able to identify it as English ivy (Hedera helix). Notice the tremendous root on this ivy; it was growing on the Manor House Hotel near Castle Combe outside of London. The ivy was absolutely beautiful as it practically glowed red in the sunshine.
In case you need some help encouraging ivy to grow at your house (I frankly need help getting rid of it) it will grow in part shade, part sun to full sun. It appreciates being watered. Some folks even fertilize it with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Granted it does make a wonderful ground cover if you can control it; it also can hide a chain link fence. It is a nice addition to a container planting where it can easily be snipped if it grows out of bounds. Deer don’t snack on it. Ivy, as seen in these photos, probably does have its virtues in the landscape. However you may want to keep it groomed as it can make a splendid hiding place for small creatures.
With some caveats ivy can be a beautiful addition to your garden. There are many interesting selections on the market. In the right place, even ivy be the right plant!
By Ms Sherry
Posted 11/03 at 05:58 AM
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flowers decorating the outside of a pub
flower markets on London streets
Two weeks ago (mid October) my husband and I traveled to London, England. We had a glorious time. I truly got my flower fix. I saw landscapes in the Cotswolds and Bath so immaculately tended and loved that they took my breath away. We went to Kew Gardens where we joined a guided tour entitled “Tapestry of Trees,” led by a gifted volunteer who was both knowledgeable and personable. We traveled to Hampton Court, originally the home of Henry the VIII, where we saw intriguing formal and informal gardens; on our last day we went to a gardener’s paradise, The Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley. Oh my goodness! I have never seen anything so beautiful. I will be sharing photos and highlights of all those locations in the next weeks. I wanted, however, to start with the flowers of the London Streets. Corner flower markets, window boxes, roof gardens, hanging baskets, hotels with intricate flower arrangements surrounding their doors and, yes, the star of this blog, a pub whose exterior was almost completely covered with flowers. This sight made my heart skip a beat; impatiens, begonias, fuchsias and others in every color of the rainbow were in full bloom. Even in late October the flowers looked like they were at the peak of their season. My annuals are long since a memory soon to be replaced with the flowers of winter. I hope that you will enjoy looking at what I call my London street scenes (for flower lovers everywhere).
