One new homeowner in Australia completely transformed their home simply by removing a persistent invasive species that had been given free rein to grow.
TikToker Chloe Powell (@_chloepowell) shared the video of the process on her page.
"Before and after removing this decades-old ivy from our new old house!" she said in the description. "It was all hands on deck, but we got it done, and I can't believe the difference."
@_chloepowell Before and after removing this decades old ivy from our new old house! It was all hands on deck but we got it done and I cant believe the difference 👏🏼 #homereno #houserenovation #vineremoval #beforeandafter ♬ original sound - ALTÉGO
The video begins with a building that is nearly invisible behind a thick layer of English ivy. The video shows two men tearing the ivy off the side of the house, mostly by hand. The growth is so thick that the ivy pulls away in one large, tangled mat, leaving behind a surprisingly clean tan and red brick facade. There are only a few remnants of the ivy to show where it clung around the edges of the building.
Of course, this satisfying step is only the beginning of the battle when it comes to English ivy. Like many of the notorious invasive species, English ivy is extremely tenacious. Even small fragments of stems, leaves, and roots can grow back into new plants if left in the ground.
However, it is still worth doing the work to remove these invasive plants. While a house covered in ivy may look pretty, English ivy spreads aggressively and can choke out other plants, including trees. It can also damage structures.
Some commenters didn't understand the point of removing the ivy. However, others were enthusiastic about the progress.
"The house can finally breathe," said one user.
"The people who are upset don't know what an absolute pain this is," said another commenter. "Mosquitoes, roaches, rats, centipedes. You name it have this beautiful ivy (and similar plants like this such as bouchamvilias) as a house. You cannot open windows or doors near it. It is nice in an abandoned castle."
"The ivy in my yard when I bought my house was suffocating the oak trees," said a third user. "I had to have two massive trees cut down because the ivy was killing them and they started rotting in the center. I'll never look at ivy the same."
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Mowing the lawn 🏡 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
