need help with new backyard - shade and ivy

15 years ago

Hello,

I'm fairly new to gardening and my wife and I are about to purchase a new home. The backyard is a bit worrisome because we are not sure what to do with it. It is pretty shady with a bunch of trees at the back end and a covered deck at the other. The center is brick patio with a fireplace and it's surrounded on 3 sides by ivy which looks to be well maintained an pruned.

We have a 4 year old girl who loves to play and another baby on the way. So we are not sure if we should tear up the ivy and make it a yard for children to play in or embrace it and turn it into a shade garden (which i have no clue how to begin). It's not a huge backyard and we like the fireplace which can probably be moved back towards the deck to make more room in the yard.

We hear that removing the ivy could be a nightmare and a lot of work so we really don't know...any suggestions are welcome!

I think a small waterfall/pond in the back would be nice. My wife seems to think that not having a play area for the children would be that big of a deal. Below are links to a couple pics of the yard.

Thanks!

Jason

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Iris GW
15 years ago
I don't consider that ivy to be well maintained! It has been allowed to cover any surface that wasn't concrete.

I'd say it's a danger to children - lots of things (snakes, mice, etc.) can live in there; kids will be kids one day and get too close (or in it).

Parcel it up so that you just work on a section at a time (do the most nearby section first) and work on getting rid of it (or hire some laborers). Take a weed whacker and get rid of the foliage first so you can see what you are doing. Once you make cuts in it, controlled applications of herbicide may help, but most people do it by hand/shovel.
seasonednurserywoman
15 years ago
Wow! That's some serious Ivy! If you use an herbicide like Round-Up, it needs to be applied to the foliage. I would wait a week, reapply and then rip it out. Good Luck! That doesn't look like any fun.
Related Discussions
Need help for landscaping ideas on new backyard
Q
Comments (3)
" I wanted to do some type of patio in the middle with planting around the edges... Our intention is strictly landscaping, no structure." Since "landscaping" can consist of anything that might be in the landscape: walks, wall, drive, fence, plantings, etc.... we might not know what you mean by "no structure"... after you say you want to do "some type of patio...". SOMEONE must think of what goes where (do the design) and it will either be you with assistance from here, or it will be a designer that you hire. If you think you want to design the space, you might start be creating a scale base plan that shows the existing elements that will remain. Posting the base plan here will make it easier for people to comprehend the space and you will need it anyway if you're going to do the design. Including pictures that show how the space relates to the house and surrounding areas will be useful. So far, the pictures don't give a feel for how the house and space work together. Wouldn't you want a pathway connection between house and patio? So far, we can't see where that could possibly go. (The first picture is no good because of the intense shadow.) (BTW, you can post multiple photos in the same post; just list the code for each in succession.) It will be helpful if you describe in greater detail your objectives. For example, what size of a patio? Any thoughts on material to make it from? Want shade? Privacy? Screening? Etc. If you have an idea of the size, shape and location for a patio, you should show it and get feedback on it.
...See More
New Construction House BackYard
Q
Comments (6)
Just get straight glyphosate - it doesn't have to be RoundUp specifically and there are less expensive brands of this herbicide on the market (Ferti-lome sells a product called Killzall that is less than half the price of the equivalent concentration and size of RoundUp). If you do go with the RoundUp, just select the Weed and Grass Killer - no need for any other additions to the mix. As I noted previously, you may very well need several applications and it is suggested to allow at least 2 weeks after the last treatment before reseeding. And it is too early to reseed - too hot and too dry for most northern, cool season grasses to germinate well. Generally, the ideal time for fall seeding is early fall - September to early October, depending on your specific climate. And any cool season turf grass blend recommended for your area is fine. Most independent garden centers - not the box stores - will have blends that are appropriate for your area.
...See More
Shaded backyard help
Q
Comments (25)
Suggestions from a dog parent with 2 shady back yards. 1st, pick out an area where you want the babies to do their business and, when you walk them, start in that area. My boys don't like "going" near the house so we're lucky. We have 2 areas that we've trained them to go to. Can you replace your rock mulch with cedar or cypress mulch? A bit more maintenance but has some nice benefits-encourage your dogs to go there and helps a bit with some bugs. 2nd, ajuga reptans! Fantastic ground cover that thrives in shade, it does extremely well in the lawn and looks very pretty. It also helps with erosion and can handle a beating from foot traffic. You will not have a pristine grass look, though. We have a little cabin on a private fishing lake, due to the health of the lake (super clean and we want to keep it that way) we do not use any pesticides or chemicals but we wanted a yard so we left the ajuga (thanks birds) that had cropped up. There are a lot of varieties of ajuga, I've included a photo of "Chocolate Chip". The suggestion for a french drain is spot on, a 24 hour period for your yard to drain is crazy! Here in NC we've had quite a bit of rain over the last week but my yard has not turned into a bog. I hope you can get things worked out, your yard looks it can be a great warm weather space.
...See More
IVY in backyard: need ideas how to cover up shared wall of ivy
Q
Comments (5)
Shearing ivy will NOT kill it......all it will do is help to keep it somewhat under control and from migrating too far away from the fence or whatever is supporting it now. English ivy and wood fences are not compatible. Because the ivy is evergreen and will layer rather densely, it will trap moisture underneath it and that will lead to the deterioration of the fence sooner rather than later. IMO, I wouldn't do either a fence or plantings right in front. You want easy access to the ivy to keep it trimmed back. And in a mild climate, you will need to that often. And I also would not be concerned about the ivy growing with small kids. There is nothing appealing about the plant to encourage little ones to sample (and they should be schooled early on never to sample plants from the garden!!) - the leaves do not taste good and they would have eat a lot to get more than an upset tummy. And if you keep it sheared or cut back, it will never flower or produce berries so that is not a concern either.
...See More
yardmom
15 years ago
I agree that the ivy needs to be removed. Once gone, a play area for the kids sounds like a great idea. I would wait on the pond/waterfall untill they get a bit older and there is less chance of an accident. Garden beds and plants can be added as you develop their play areas and needs. They won't be young for long!
newbiehavinfun
15 years ago
We had a difficult time removing ivy (in fact, we're still in the process). We hired people to bring in a Kubota and rip out as much as possible. Then, we had to cut the large pieces with a machete and spray RoundUp into the cuts (don't bother spraying the leaves, the waxiness protects them). If you decide to spray instead of rip it up, you need to damage the leaves with a weedwacker before spraying or it will not penetrate.

You might not have to hire someone, a pickaxe/shovel would work well. We had about 1/2 acre of the stuff and we're still removing it from our ancient maples. The elderly gentleman next door says that no one did anything with the ivy for at least 60 years.

That being said, it was definitely worth it. We found so much debris in the post-ivy areas that could have hurt our dogs or children (broken glass, asbestos tile, etc.). Now there's so much more room to run around.

Good luck and happy ivy hunting!
newbiehavinfun
15 years ago
I almost forgot--as for plantings, you can't go wrong with:

hostas
heucheras
ajuga
rhododendron/azaleas
gold leaf plant (aucuba)
ferns

All of these are pretty easy to grow and do well in zone 7 so I assume zone 6 as well. Ajuga is a groundcover that can stand some light foot traffic but does not become invasive (liriope would be a good choice for that as well).

By the way, I love your outdoor fireplace!

need help with new backyard - shade and ivy

Comments (5)

Iris GW

seasonednurserywoman

Related Discussions

yardmom

newbiehavinfun

newbiehavinfun

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US