Ivy taking over the garden

Ivy (the wild green one) is a menace, isn't it! I have it all over the place, growing flat on the ground as well as on the walls. I like it on the old walls, it clothes them, but the ground strands are just so hard to get out completely. I haven't won this battle by a long way!
I do like the variegated ones, and I've planted several to grow on walls (not the house!).

My husband is allergic to Ivy - he comes out in itchy red patches if he so much as touches some. Are your eyes OK now? Goggles sound like a necessity!

my eyes seem o.k. and I will resume cutting the ivy down when I get the goggles tomorrow. The neighbours will think that the aliens have arrived when I go out there in goggles. I like the variagated ivy and had one in my other garden that the robins used to nest in but they are so invasive, you have to keep them constantly cut. This one, the common green one, has branches on branches and hasn't been touched for years. The stems are about two inches thick near the bottom that seems to dissapear through the fence in to next door. I am cutting through all of them. Anyway I am off for a walk as it is a lovely sunny afternoon. Bye.......

good luck with the Ivy attack. I know how much of a fight that is and do use the goggles. You only have 1 pair of eyes, Glad you Sunday is a sunny day, here in Essex its raining .

I hope you win over the Ivy too but PLEASE be careful. I'm glad you're going to get goggles.

I've just purchased some goggles and now all I need are the wet suit and flippers. Mind you it wouldn't be a bad idea if it's raining............

I sympathise with your battle against ivy. A previous owner grew an ornamental ivy just outside my back door. It is small leaved and looks quite attractive but it grows like wildfire. I seem to be constantly trimming it back, well not so much trimming as ripping really. A cage protects the balanced flue on the adjacent wall, it is a nightmare keeping the cage ivy-free. In fact two years ago I planted a piece of the ivy under the ultility room window at the other end of the border, it has reached the windowsill so next year I shall be digging the original plant out.
The wild green ivy has been allowed to grow in several places on the walls of my partner's house. It is so well established some of it has reached the ridge tiles. We have been attacking it for several years now and this year we had a break-through. It is dead! We have removed what we can from ground level and the top of step-ladders. Paul has treated himself to a free-standing scaffold tower so the rest may be removed when he psyches himself up to overcome his fear of heights. :-s
From now on I think we shall stick to wisteria, roses, jasmine and other 'climbers' that do not cling.

I have nearly cleaned the ivy from the fence but still have the back of the garage to do which isn't easy as I can't get along the back!!! I shall use the loppers and cut away at boundary level to keep it from the garage as it has started to grow inside.......At least it's a start anyway. I shall spray the ivy at ground level when it grows again in the spring, as a lot of it is from the garden opposite so I shall just treat on my side.