English Ivy,an Evergreen Ground Cover For Your Garden

Don't you have an open area in your landscaping that is just begging for some coverage? Perhaps you have a slope that needs a fast growing, beautiful, plant to hold it together. Maybe you have a new arbor or trellis that you would love to see covered in verdant green. If you have any of those things perhaps the best plant on the market for these applications is that time honored favorite, English Ivy. Everyone has seen pictures of ivy covered walls and fences from Europe and this same plant can be acquired to add its beauty to your landscaping design.

This hearty evergreen has been cultivated for centuries, and is well known for its gloriously green shiny leaves and its ability to hang in there when many other plants would give up. This climbing vine can reach astounding lengths and will cover any type of structure so fully that in some parts of the world it is purposely plants so that its foliage will held stone walls to shed rain so that the mortar lasts longer. English Ivy flowers from late summer through late autumn, producing umbrels which develop into small black berries which ripen in late winter. This Ivy will also climb trees with gusto, and though it may compete with the tree for water and nutrients it usually does not cause problems except in the far south where it may very slightly increase the chances of losing trees to high winds. Due to its unique ability to grow in shake, English ivy is often used as a ground cover for areas that reside under trees. These are areas that grass cannot grow.

Not only will English Ivy provide added beauty to your outdoor dcor and provide shade and erosion control, but it will also attract many species of wildlife by providing nesting areas, shelter, and wintertime forage in the form of the late ripening berries. Feeders and nest boxes are wonderful ways to fill your lawn with colorful birds, but With English Ivy you have the whole package rolled into one lush green plant.

English Ivy can be bought in the spring at most of the chain home improvement stores, but for better quality it is advised to always shop from a professional nursery. The up-and-coming wave in nursery providers is the mail order and online tree nurseries such as a wholesale nursery who supply the best in high quality plants at a very reasonable cost. If the health and heartiness of the plants you buy is not an issue by all means buy from the home improvement store, but if you want a strong healthy plant that will take to its new home with ease be sure and shop online or mail order.