Have worked with large amounts of ivy on and off most of my life, and as a child I spent long hours playing in thick ivy dells and ditches - never had a problem.
Some people get confused about English Ivy and the American Poison Ivy.
Also some old ivy shrubs can hold a lot of dust and old pollen which can cause problems from asthmatics.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I had a good shred this morning. I'm still breathing. Some things do irritate the throat but a good cough sorts it out. I've been stuffing things through shredders for a lot of years now, and pruning. No problems a bit of common sense can't deal with
Going back to the original post, JoolieL - best advice for any new garden owner is to tamper with it as little as possible for the first year, until you find out what's there (including bulbs and perennials etc which may be invisible underground).
Take out and/or cut back only what you can identify for certain and know that you don't want.
If possible, get hold of a good gardening year book which will alert you to what you might expect to see and can do yourself as the seasons change - and read good gardening columns (like the Observer's one, available on the Guardian website) wherever you can find them.
help...cyclamen has taken over my yard and shrubbery beds. I can't dig up the thousands of tubers. How can I get rid of it? I have never had it bloom, just those pretty leaves---everywhere.
Posts
Cyclamen I'm coming with my bucket and spade bugger to far away
holly and Ivy make a wreath with them but yes cut them back
James
Forum is full of warnings today. Ivy, mistletoe.
It's a wonder any of us have lived as long as we have.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Have worked with large amounts of ivy on and off most of my life, and as a child I spent long hours playing in thick ivy dells and ditches - never had a problem.
Some people get confused about English Ivy and the American Poison Ivy.
Also some old ivy shrubs can hold a lot of dust and old pollen which can cause problems from asthmatics.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I had a good shred this morning. I'm still breathing. Some things do irritate the throat but a good cough sorts it out. I've been stuffing things through shredders for a lot of years now, and pruning. No problems a bit of common sense can't deal with
In the sticks near Peterborough
See http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/hedera_helix.htm for info about possible reactions to ivy. Doesn't sound like much of a risk, I don't seem to have a problem with it.
Going back to the original post, JoolieL - best advice for any new garden owner is to tamper with it as little as possible for the first year, until you find out what's there (including bulbs and perennials etc which may be invisible underground).
Take out and/or cut back only what you can identify for certain and know that you don't want.
If possible, get hold of a good gardening year book which will alert you to what you might expect to see and can do yourself as the seasons change - and read good gardening columns (like the Observer's one, available on the Guardian website) wherever you can find them.
help...cyclamen has taken over my yard and shrubbery beds. I can't dig up the thousands of tubers. How can I get rid of it? I have never had it bloom, just those pretty leaves---everywhere.
Just hoe them off, they won't put up much of a fight. They need a couple or 3 years to get to flowering
In the sticks near Peterborough
I have cyclamen all over my lawns. The selective weed killer I use does not kill them. Any ideas?