Not all ivies spread and climb: pick a variety suited to cramped conditions and it will survive deep shade and all sorts of neglectI have a little outdoor table by the french windows that houses an ever-changing display of pot plants. In summer it has pomegranates, citrus and, towards the back, some ivies. In winter, when the lemons are indoors, I move the ivies to the foreground. Their curtain of leaves distracts from the real reason the table is there: to hide all the pots and seed trays underneath it. I don’t own a shed because I can’t bear to part with the space in the garden, so I am forever finding ways to squirrel away the unsightly parts of gardening. I am not generous to these ivies – they survive in 30cm pots. In spring and autumn I top them up with a little fresh compost, but that’s about it. And yet they thrive. Come winter, I dot pots of early-flowering bulbs between them – reticulata irises, miniature daffodils and snowdrops – so small hints of spring bring a little cheer. Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…The endless pleasure of potted ivies | Alys Fowler
