Create A Topiary With English Ivy

4 min readMar 10, 2021

English Ivy in a hanging basket is what you are probably thinking about when you bring a sapling home. However there are different ways to enjoy the English Ivy in your garden.

Ground cover

While having it in a hanging basket it the most commonly seen method, you could also use it to create a ground cover. English Ivy is a very fast growing and you may even consider it invasive in that it spreads everywhere and takes over the space for other plants. You can however train it and ensure that it stays within the space allotted!! You will need to prune it regularly to keep it within its allotted space!

Wall cover

If you enjoy the old world charm of walls covered in green, up walls of stone then the English Ivy is just the plant for you. In fact the English Ivy can be quite invasive if you let it take over the space! Its throws out roots that stick to the walls so strongly that you will have to rip it off to clear up!

You can even train it to climb a tree and cover the truck with its leaves.

Topiary with English Ivy

However one of the best things you can do with the English Ivy is to make a topiary with it.

Take a sturdy non-rusting metal wire and bend it to make any shape of your choice. You could create an animal shape or a circle or globe or just anything that stirs your imagination.

Once that is done, take a large pot and fill it with potting material after covering the drainage holes with small stones or bits of terracotta bits. Place the base of your wire design into the soil until it sits firmly in the pot.

Now take 2 or 3 cuttings of ivy or a plant with roots and plant it around the topiary wire as required. The larger the topiary design, the more plants you will need for it to grow and cover the frame.

Ideally wrap some sphagnum moss around the wire and tie it in place with fish wire thread or fine twine. In case you do not have access to sphagnum moss, wind coir thread all around the wire frame to provide the English Ivy a firm grip to climb on to.

Take the ends of the ivy plants and wrap the tendrils gently on to the wire frame along the different points. Water the pot thoroughly and keep it in partial shade as the English Ivy prefers to stay away from strong sunlight.

Water whenever you see the top layer of the soil getting dry. The Ivy enjoys a bit of moisture and humidity. As the plants grow, take each tendril and help it wrap itself around the wire frame. You will find it growing rapidly and taking on the shape of the wire frame to form a stunning topiary.

There is no end to your experiments with shapes. Try it once, you are sure to be hooked!

Note: This content originally published here.

Create A Topiary With English Ivy

Written by Priya Mehta