The War againest English Ivy

Today was a beautiful day, the temperature was 55 degrees F and there was no wind!!  Yes, that's right, here in Oklahoma, "where the winds come sweeping down the plains" there was no wind.  The past several days I have been piecing  my Star Crazy Quilt until I am almost crazy so I took advantage of the nice weather to get outside and work in my Empty Nest Gardens.

This is English Ivy.  My grandparents had this growing in a large garden bed in their front yard.  I always thought it was beautiful, a lush, thick ground cover.  So I bought 3 small 2 inch pots and planted them 15 years ago. 

Now it is attempting to take over my acreage and if it had it's way it would take over the neighborhood. 

This is our swimming pool.  It would love to grow in, over and around the pool.  BUT NO I SAY, THIS IS WAR, me verses the ivy.  I have tried spraying it with herbicides and nothing kills this pesky plant.  I always have to resort to cutting and pulling it.  It does help to use the weed eater to remove the leaves and then I can see the stems to pull and cut them out.  I use regular household scissors, they work great.

Brutus is always right in the middle of things.  He loves to get in my leaf bag when it is full of clippings.

This is the same picture an hour later.  You would have never known there were stairs under all that ivy.  I have to do this clipping every year.  This year I am going to work hard to contain the ivy to a smaller area. 

It has been so dry outside that I took advantage of the nice weather to turn on the drip irrigation and give the garden beds a good soaking.  This is a miniature Nandina shrub.  It is such a beautiful burgundy color.
Until next time,