My Garden Blog: Change

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Next door, Patrick, our neighbour has employed a gardener to make some significant changes to the garden — changes which have some impact on our own. The division between our gardens consists largely of an unplanned mixed hedge, with bushes and climbing plants on both sides, including masses of ivy. Similarly, along the back fence, which overlooks the lane which goes out onto the footpath and road on Gravel Hill, there is a substantial array of ivy which over the years has formed a high, thick hedge which provides shelter and privacy. Our neighbour has decided to get rid of the ivy, and in doing so is reducing both the shelter and the privacy. So, the rather snug and private haven of our garden is being compromised. Worrying.

Ivy is, of course, a pest, and is best not invited into the garden at all. When she replaced the dividing fence between our gardens last summer, Pamela our other neighbour agreed that we must nuke all the ivy which had grown up along the old fence. It had, in fact, become a weed, and despite being cut back, kept vigorously reasserting itself and overwhelming other plants. Our attack seems to have worked, and on that side, we have an ivy free zone.

I shan’t be sorry to see most of the ivy go on the other side, but am now considering the consequential changes, top of which will be installing a new fence. That, however, will have to wait until the end of the year, when there will be seasonal cutting back, and the garden will be in winter mode. Meanwhile, it looks as if we’re going to have to get used to a new era of openness.

• 10 Jun, 2010
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