Living in nature is wonderful — until it nearly caves your roof in.
An elderly lady in Great Britain found her house's roof and sides smothered in moss, invasive vines, and thick branches from nearby trees. Years of neglect caused the accumulated damage.
After learning of this elderly lady's misfortune, Humanitarian Cleanup (@humanitarian_cleanup) stepped in to offer a helping hand. The whole cleaning process was recorded and shared on TikTok.
@humanitarian_cleanup This thick carpet of ivy had destroyed Barbara's roof, which was rotten and soaked. ☹️ remove it 💪🏻 #cleaningtiktok #uktiktok #cleanup #cleantok #gardening ♬ Sixty Second Commercial 1 by Michael Reynolds - malcolm
The video shows the cleaning crew wrangling a thick carpet of ivy on the roof. The ivy blanket is so dense that it appears similar to a round bale of hay as the crew rolls it off the house.
In one area, the ivy's roots forcibly dug into the rooftop surface, creating a gaping hole that was leaking water into the house. The thick blanket of ivy on top, which covered the hole, trapped moisture and led to wood rot.
"I felt my foot go through the roof," the video's subtitle read. One cleaning crew member is seen grabbing a handful of wet and rotted wood from under the roof.
"Bless her, buckets there to catch the water," the cleaning crew member said, as he peered into the house at the bucket on the floor.
Though ivy is technically not classified as an invasive species in Great Britain, it still grows aggressively, as evidenced by the massive takeover of the elderly lady's rooftop.
In the United States, however, ivy is considered an invasive plant species and can quickly overtake native plants, outcompeting them for nutrients and resources. Invasive plants can be difficult to eradicate from gardens, as they tend to pop up and return even after thorough removal.
Maintaining your lawn or garden regularly staves off the need for a major recovery, as in the case of the elderly lady in this TikTok video. However, lawn maintenance can be a lot of work and effort to keep up with.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 Upgrading to a natural lawn featuring ground cover such as buffalo grass, as well as native plants, can reduce the time, money, and water needed to maintain a healthy, thriving lawn.
Native plants are slower-growing and more drought-tolerant than invasive plant species, which gives you more time between maintenance days.
Pollinators feed on native plants, which promotes the reproduction of native plant species and local food crops, protecting the food supply of local wildlife and humans.
If you find yourself wrestling with English ivy in your backyard, cut a six-inch section about a foot off the ground using a pair of gardening shears, which cuts the vine from its primary nutrient source.
"I was devastated when I learned how much damage ivy does to buildings," one person wrote under the TikTok video. "It's so pretty but can't have it."
"Excellent work," another commenter complimented.
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