ivy

I assume that getting this Ivy off your walls won't cause damage to the wall covering - is it brick or is the brick rendered? If render, I warn you that you will damage it by pulling the Ivy off. If you still want to get it off, cut it at the base of each trunk or stem that you can find. Make sure that it's cut right through, then leave it to die. This may well take several months! It's much, much easier to pull off dead strands than live ones.

My neighbour grows ivy all over the place - some of it with huge leaves. Her ivy is really ugly and intrudes into my garden, weaving its way amongst my plants.

I try to keep the ivy cut back, but just a warning, I find my skin is allergic to the ivy, so maybe wear gloves if you will be touching the ivy a lot.

My husband only has to touch a leaf and he comes out in 'hives' which last ages!

It's a simply case of cutting the ivy at the base and letting it die off, then the tedious work of pulling it off begins when the ivy has browned, tried up, looks withered and dead.

This job while tedious is also satisfying, especially when it's finished and you can look at a clear wall, it's a liitle bit symbolic of life I think.