Initially, these 5 groundcovers were alluringly beautiful. But, over time, each grow very aggressively and become a major chore to restrained in the garden. Several states have declared one or more species as invasive and ban them for sale and interstate transportation. The most effective way to eliminate these aggressive groundcovers is to cut plants […]
Archive for the ‘Ivy (Hedera)’ Category
Getting Rid Of Difficult Weeds
Some aggressive perennials like Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata), variegated Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), along with many woody briars can be extremely difficult to eliminate from a landscape area or garden bed. If a weedy garden bed contains no desirable plants, you can over spray weeds with glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide.(Roundup™ is common trade name). This […]
Live Cut Foliage And Berries For Home Holiday Decorations
Many conifers make great cuts for indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations. Foliage choices: Eastern red cedar and many other junipers, white pine, Norway spruce, Colorado spruce, Balsam fir, Canadian hemlock, Arizona cypress (and cultivars ‘Carolina Sapphire’ and ‘Blue Ice’), and False cypresses (C. pisifera). Needle retention varies among species. For example, Norway spruce and balsam […]
2014 Plant Winners Announced
At the start of each year the Motion Picture Industry awards their Golden Globes and Oscars. The Music Industry has the Grammys. Gardening associations also announce the award-winning plants. The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has declared 2014 Year of the Echinacea (coneflower) in the perennial category. NGB declared the mighty cucumber as Vegetable of The […]
Selecting The Right Ivy For Your Garden
Have you taken the “No Ivy Pledge”? I have not. In an effort to slow defections from growing ivy, the American Ivy Society has developed a list of non-invasive cultivars. It includes several dwarf English ivy cultivars (Hedera spp.). Add a little water and fertilizer and these mini-ivies do not miss a beat. Mini- ivies […]
‘Lady Francis’ Ivy Wakes Up A Shady Patch
On a recently trip to the Ohio State University Horticultural Gardens in Columbus, I discovered ‘Lady Frances’, a relatively tame miniature ivy. The American Ivy Society classifies Hedera helix ‘Lady Frances’ as non-invasive, and it received the first “Ivy of the Year” award in 2001. It grows slowly and works as a ground cover or topiary […]