Cornish Hedge - plants to keep ivy and nettles at bay?
dannyson
Posts: 60
I've just had a Cornish Hedge built - its like a wall with large stones held together with soil.
Now I'm OK with looking after and planting up such when I have access to both sides - but this is a boundary hedge and the farmers half is not accessible and obviously covered in ivy/nettles (and hawthorn/blackthorn - which is OK) which will creep over to my side of course.
I was wondering what I could plant/sow (apart from wild flowers) on my half that would be vigorous enough to cover my top half and at the same time suppress the unwanted? Now I know that Ivy and the like is good for wildlife - there is plenty of that on the farmers side - and I want it to remain that way..... I don't want to resort to chemical sprays .... just something to give good ground cover and maybe evergreen?
I suspect there is nothing that will do it? - maybe 'wild' geranium/vinca - any other ideas please?
Posts
There are no plants that will keep ivy and brambles at bay - it is all about management. The traditional management technique i.e. cutting back hard to the bank once in the late winter, will stop brambles taking hold and keep the ivy under control and the ivy will be kept short, it's roots will help bind the hedge together and it will give you the evergreen effect you want.
Growing the traditional wild plants and flowers which clothe Cornish and Devon 'hedges' - ferns, foxgloves, bluebells, red campion, toadflax, sorrel etc, will look gorgeous and be absolutely wonderful for wildlife. These will begin to grow each year after the hedge has been cut back.
It sounds wonderful.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for that ...... I can only access about two foot of the top half of the hedge - but will do my best to keep the ivy and brambles at bay. Meanwhile I've sprinkled a few old packets of wildflower seeds ..... will see what happens :-}