Sometimes, even with the best intentions, gardeners can overlook certain land mines. That was definitely the case for a DIY Redditor who soon discovered why inviting ivy into their garden would be a catastrophic mistake.
On an anti-lawn subreddit, they proudly posted a photo of their home project.
"I didn't want to put up an ugly white vinyl fence like every other suburban neighbor," they explained. "Stone with ivy and wildflowers is so much better for the environment."
Their Cotswold, England-inspired stone wall drew praise among visitors. However, commenters were quick to push back on the inclusion of ivy, highlighting its potential harm to the local ecosystem.
"English ivy is going to quickly escape that area and start choking the trees in the woods back there in the next 20 years," one commenter advised.
"My landlord planted English ivy all over the boundary of my yard years before we moved in," another commenter said. "... Now it's a huge problem for everyone whose yard touches ours; it's too far gone to be removed by amateurs."
The invasive species not only threatens surrounding plants but also stresses and weakens trees, sometimes causing them to fall during storms. It can even overtake and threaten houses if left unchecked. That all amounts to headaches in terms of removal and potential hardship to your wallet and the surrounding ecosystem.
For those looking to enhance their outdoor spaces, such as the original poster, to a natural lawn, making sure to stick to native plants has several advantages, including saving time and money on maintenance and reducing water usage. Options such as clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping can be excellent choices.
It seemed like the OP was trying to do the right thing initially for their lawn. After some doubling down that got further pushbacks from users, it's heartening to see they took the community's advice and found a replacement for ivy that was native to their area.
They wrote: "2nd PSA: After all of the comments, I will be removing and returning the English Ivy and instead look for Virginia Creeper. Thank you all!"
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"Thank you OP, you're saving that tree value and ecosystem swag," a user replied.
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