Oh, a dainty plant is the Ivy green, That creepeth o’er ruins old!
The Ivy Green by Charles Dickens

Make an Ivy Wreath. January 19, 2024.

The ivy in the garden is steadfast in its presence. Always there and never leaving, ivy well-deserves its symbolism of fidelity. It will grow abundantly as well as rapidly, requiring a good pruning at least once a year. Ivy blends the landscape together in a harmony of colors, filling in the cracks where needed, adding patina to the garden landscape. At Hidden Bluff is the green backdrop that gives interest to the stars of the garden. It gives the yard a nice, tousled look which adds informality to the garden, a feature of a cottage garden. Without ivy things wouldn’t look quite right, rather bland actually.

Growing Ivy

Poor ivy has also been much maligned with slanderous gossip. Ever accused of being a parasitic tree killer, ivy is quite harmless to the tree itself. That being said, Ivy is a very needy plant, growing and spreading quickly, using resources, so it is often helpful to keep it pruned or under control so that the tree’s growing environment is not harmed. Ivy is a drought-tolerant climber that grows well in both sun and shade. Use it in spots you would like some greenery on.

Benefits of Ivy

Ivy (especially English Ivy) is high in saponins. Saponins create suds making the ivy good to use as a natural soap.
English Ivy may help purify the air in your home. Be mindful to keep it out of reach of pets.
Professionally made ivy extract/supplements may help with respiratory support. Don’t go out and boil any ivy leaves laying around.
Some have used it as an anecdotal treatment for arthritis.
Ivy is evergreen and self-clinging making it wonderful as a living fence.

Using Ivy

As ivy is a prominent feature of the garden at Hidden Bluff, growing in many places I decided to feature it indoors as well. Faux ivy sprigs are often tucked into decor to give body and texture to an arrangement. Additionally, I decided an ivy wreath would be nice as well, so I created this one. Moss is another thing we have a lot of at Hidden Bluff. It grows luxuriantly well in our climate. So, naturally some moss is tucked into the wreath. The ivy and moss make a rich and more natural-looking wreath for your home decor.