I have just been the recipient of at least 400 iris plants and as much Ivy as I want..... How do I transplant the Ivy,,,,, It just seems like one huge unending stem.... Any creative ideas on incorporating the Iris into my cottage garden scheme?
A windfall of 400 Iris and a bunch of English Ivy....
My question is do you REAAAAAAAAALLY want to plant ivy on your place? I have only known two people who did not ending ripping it out....and attacking it with Round-Up.
I would think you just bury pieces of stem and keep it damp....and stand BACK....lol
The ivy we planted was in a difficult spot but took over AND harbored baby rabbits (and a shed snake skin), grew 2-3 feet per year, so we banished it. The thought of it makes me wince......
Ivy cuttings root easily, but like the others, I'd recommend against it. It is listed as an exotic invasive in Kentucky, and it seems to be more aggressive further south. As for the Iris, what a score! I think clumps of Iris casually scattered throughout the garden is very cottagy looking.
Yes... I forgot to say a BRAVO on the iris! Love them...but in my humble opinion...the ivy was a booby prize...lol Maybe you can put it in the kiddies trick-o-treat bags this Halloween....hehe Their parents will KNOW they have been tricked instead of treated...LOL
This message was edited Aug 13, 2009 11:05 PM
BlueBunn,A BIG YES TO THE IRIS,A BIG NO TO THE ENGLISH IVY.I no longer have it sooo glad,I kept it in ck,cutting it back 3-4 times a year,IT IS ON THE DO NOT PLANT LIST IN INDIANA,and I will bet its on the list in kentucky,I know its pretty.I have 4 pots of this stuff, I cant remember the name,but I do know it also is on the do not plant list too,I just found out ,thats why I still have it,not after the first frost it goes to the burn pile,it will take root where ever it touches the ground,I almost planted it on a slope around the screened porch. Ive seen english ivy choke a 20ft tall tree to death.i have planted a couple of invaisives with out knowing oh man iam rreally careful now.It can be a real drag trying to irradicate stuff.PLANT THOSE IRIS.
I want the ivy to plant on an eroding creek bank. Honestly, here in East Tennesse I've had no luck at all getting Ivy to spread. I REALLY WISH it would invade the creek bank, the soil is just washing away.
I was going to say that planting the ivy in an area that is a well defined space, perhaps surrounded by cement is fine ... well, kind of. Mine keeps trying to go over the sidewalk into the lawn. But you really are going to be unhappy if you plant the ivy on the creek bank. Please listen to what lots of us are saying.
Well, Bluebunn, I like ivy too and I keep trying to transplant it. I go for walks in the woods everyday and just love the way it winds around everything. I can see where it may be destructive as far a the trees go though. . For some reason it just doesn't want to take off. I even have grabed pieces with lots of roots attached so I can't offer any help there. I love the look of Ivy growing up over fences and covering bad spots. I can see where it may be destructive as far a the trees go though. They fell a couple of trees a while back that had huge formations of ivy roots, some an inch thick intertwined and actually making some very interesting formations. After they fell it and cut up the pieces it was almost like curvy willow. I have been bringing a few pieces of the dead roots home and have been placing them in my new bed area. They actually make some very cottage like borders around the new flower bed. I will try and photo some so you can see what I am having difficulty trying to explain. However, if you need help planting the irises, I would be more then happy to help you out there. I have a new flowerbed that is just begging for more irises. Heheh. How ever did you come by so many? Lucky you.
Jan
i am so glad someone else likes ivy, and i do understand the problems with invasive plants.... we have many around here, but ivy isn't one of them. the iris came from a friend trying to rent out her deceased mother's home, an avid gardener. there is no one to take care of the gardens and the place looks awful, therefore they are taking out the gardens and planting pure lawn. she asked me to take anything i wanted so that the plants don't go to waste and can live on in my gardens. i wish i knew how to remove the huge butterfly bushes and hydranga, but i have been able to save lots of sedum, daylilies, hollyhocks and the iris. excuse grammar problems, keyboard is broken.jeri
WOW! Lucky you. What a great gift to you. I hope you've got some padding for the ole pray bones cause your gonna need it with all of those. I bet there are all different colors, sizes and types too, huh? I am so envious. I know thats a sin but I am.
English Ivy is wonderful if it's in a confined space. I use it to cover the ugly shallow roots of a spruce tree. I trim it back once a year when it starts to eat my driveway. I'd never let it run rampant though. It definitely needs a defined boundary, but it's a very beautiful groundcover.
Jeri -- it's a shame about the butterfly bushes and hydrangeas. Could you maybe prune them back and dig them up? It's worth a try!
The iris acquisition is a real treasure. I'll bet there are loads of beautiful historics in that collection.
i agree with everyone, yes to the iris and JUST SAY NO to the English Ivy. Plant some in a container, but don't put them in the ground.
So blue did you get all 400 planted?
If so I could use some fall help here ^_^
Heheh, I was just wondering the same thing. I just planted 60 bulbs and that took me a day or two or three but it is done now, but 400 is another story.
bluebunn - Just came upon this thread and I wanted to say that if you have a chance to get any hydrangea bushes - go for it! At least for me here in Indiana they are completely forgiving and will come back strong for you even by midsummer next year. Every fall I end up scoring some $3.00 annabelle or limelight that looks dead except for one or two leaves in some sad little pot and I GRAB them, the next summer they're tall and strong as long as you replant them in the right conditions with good soil. I would definitely say they're worth transplanting even if you can't get all the roots.
I'm really nervous about the ivy horror stories though - do you all feel that way about all ivies? I just bought "fenway (boston)" ivy to cover an ugly wall that borders my perennial garden -not as a ground cover but a wall cover - bad idea?
Peonyrosegirl, I think you're OK with the Boston Ivy as a wall cover. They use it to cover walls downtown Chicago near where I work. I've never seen it spreading on the ground. In fact, this particular location has shrub roses growing on the ground just beneath the wall of Boston Ivy.
That's good to hear figaro, thanks!
I have every iris in the ground, and when all was said and done, there were about 730 altogether! Just when I was ready to wash the mud from my boots, 150 blue tulip bulbs were delivered from American Meadows, yeah,my knees hurt!
Oh MY!!
I hope you take pictures next year and let us all enjoy your hard work ^_^
I will take SO MANY pictures!
ohmygosh - I am impressed, how big of any area did you plant those iris in? Did you split them up here and there or do a giant MASS planting lol?? I too want pictures next year, it's going to be really cool.
I've spread them over nine gardens, here, there and everywhere.It should be pretty amazing,,especially, since I have no idea what colors I planted!
it will be beautiful!
what a beautiful surprise you'll have next Spring, I bet you can't wait!
Iam already jealous of the Iris,that will be beautiful.
For your erosion problems, I would suggest taking a few willow (salix) branches, tying them together in a slender bundle and partially planting them in the lowest area you can next to the creek. Heavy gravel will help, too, thickly spread.
I'd save your ivy for mixed pots on a porch or deck - they also make good hanging container plants.
Thanks Sheryl that's worth a try, I had heard of using willow for bank erosion.
You're welcome. Best of luck!
Oh willow sounds so romantic and cottegy. Please post pics of those iris! Your mad planting that many. Gotta respect that. Wish i had room for that many iris in my yard. Enjoy your hard work this spring!
Willow+water+bench= cottage for me