Hedera helix or common Ivy finds itself in the category of plants that people often grapple with. It is successful plant, and a native one that reveals it’s heady bloom when few other native flowers are available, usually in September and October.
When Ivy is in bloom and the sun shines, Ivy is alive with life. This audible life distracts me from my purpose and invites me to watch it, everytime. It is mesmerizing! It never fails to disappoint, thousands of pollinators, butterflies, spiders, ladybirds… everyone is feasting.
Ivy winds it way along the ground and up any structure it can find, it doesn’t live off trees, it gets its nutrients and water through its own roots. It forms nooks and opportunities for all types of life to thrive.
Yet still it upsets so many people. I think that upset lies in its degree of its success. It requires our attention and then again. My invitation is to look at Ivy through a different lens, as a giver of life for Ivy supports in excess of 50 beautiful species and let it go wild a bit, tend it a little less.
Tend when not in bloom and be mindful of nesting birds. Know that Ivy in your garden is a noble thing!
Tending The Wild Things 