AN expert has revealed a £1.50 hack to stop English ivy from overtaking your garden.
English ivy is a charming-looking plant, which can make your outdoor space look like a serene haven.
Ivy can end up taking over your garden[/caption]
Bin bags can be use to dehydrate ivy[/caption]
However, it grows rapidly, and can end up overtaking your garden, and creeping over your neighbour’s wall.
Ivy can grow up to a whopping 30m tall, and produces aerial shoots that allow it to easily cling to walls, trees and fences.
Tara Besore, who has a gardening blog called Hammer & Headband revealed how she successfully managed to prevent ivy from taking over her garden.
She said: “Stopping it [ivy] seemed impossible, but eventually I got rid of every last ivy root and vine in my yard.
“Here’s what you need to know to remove English ivy for good.”
The gardening whizz tried cutting and pulling up the ivy and spraying herbicides on it, but found that neither of these methods worked properly.
However, she revealed that solarisation worked a treat on even the densest patches of ivy.
“It doesn’t strain your back, and it doesn’t require chemicals”, she said.
“All it takes is patience.”
To try out this hack, she explained that all you need is a black plastic sheet, such as a bin bag.
“After spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force, I turned to the solarisation method,” Tara said.
“This involves letting the sun scorch the ivy under plastic.”
Wrap your ivy in bin bags, and then secure it firmly with bricks or stakes.
Tara explained that this method deprives the plants of water.
Top gardening trends of 2025
Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025.
Matrix planting
It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting.
In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed.
Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control.
Chrysanthemum comeback
I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as ‘Innocence’ and ‘Cottage Apricot’ would be spectacular within a matrix scheme.
The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border.
Blended borders
For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year.
The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing!
Must-have tool
My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else.
It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
“It cooks in the heat, permanently killing the ivy, the roots, and even the seeds so it can’t grow back”, she said.
Once the ivy has turned brown and brittle, you can easily pull it up out of the ground and clear it away.
Bin bags are super cheap, and you likely have them in your kitchen cupboard.
If not, you can pick them up from Aldi for £1.25.
