A question about ivy?

I think people say that because so very often it's planted in a too small area and then it's not trimmed or maintained.
It then goes on to grow at it's normal fast pace and can get out of control.

So long as you keep it under control and it is growing up a fence it should be okay. Watch for it sending up extra shoots where you don't want them and don't let it get onto a house wall.

It is just because people buy the wrong variety, it gets huge and out of hand, and before you know it, you've got roots absolutely everywhere all over the garden, plus woody stems that are nearly as thick as a young tree. Helix varieties are a bit better behaved, but still need a watchful eye - watch out for tricksy little shoots that creep along the ground without your noticing and then root in the lawn or other places. Once established, I usually run the hedge trimmer over it twice a year - May and then again in mid to late August, and trim back anything creeping where I don't want it.

Hi Womble - I've used ivy to cover an unsightly garage wall, and against a fence where the slats had warped, meaning that we could see through it into the neighbour's garden. In both these areas my ivy is doing its job admirably and I like it very much. I think it's down to personal taste. Like the others say, once it's well established, keep it in check and I'm sure it will be fine.

I love ivy, but you do have to stop it creeping too far into your beds. The wild life will love it too and little garden birds may nest in it :-))

Our next door neighbour loves ivy and we detest it. It has ruined her fence which has now rotted away and at last she has seen the light! The branches penetrate the fence and swell, forcing the panels apart, and hold moisture to allow the fence to rot. Also they seed like there's no tomorrow causing lots of work pulling up seedlings. The roots tend to get into the most innaccessible places making control very difficult. Systemic weedkiller can be effective sometimes if it is strong stuff!

I had to have my closeboard fencing replaced due to ivy forcing it apart. Some years later It is now doing the same again. Also it is covering a lovely weeping silver birch and over ten years we have seen it gradualy disappear under the ugly dark ivy. The land behind us is untended and we can do nothing about it and that is fine except where it joins my garden

Drc hack the ivy back to your boundary and then inject something like Roundup into the remains. Also complain to the neighbour who is allowing his ivy to run rampart!

thank you to everyone who responded. my fences panels are about 10 cm wide with a small gap between them (you can see this in a couple of my garden photos, its the fencing to the right of the pics).the label says i brought hedera cristata, which the girl at the garden centre recommended.