Making a green wall from ivy

[Tony K]

Morning

My SB is an L-shaped bungalow which creates an internal courtyard garden. One of the walls facing the garden is exposed blockwork at present. I had been toying with cladding it, but prefer a slightly different idea....

 

I am considering erecting mesh frames onto the wall and growing ivy all over it. 

 

Regarding preventing attachment (or damaging levels of attachment) to the house wall, the RHS says this:

 

Application of two coats of ‘Easy-On’, a clear anti-graffiti, silane-based, nanoparticle paint, was as efficient in preventing attachment. Application of another, petrochemical-based paint, while not completely preventing ivy attachment, significantly weakened it, thus easing ivy management.

 

This advice comes from the attached study. I am investigating the costs of appropriate paints, mesh, etc.

 

The obvious, and pertinent, question is: am I being mad?!

 

 

 

 

 

J-O-L-A-2016-Volume-3-Issue-1-Blanusa(etal).pdf

[JohnMo]

Having an old house last time, the damage caused by ivy can be very bad. I would avoid.  It grows very quickly and will be up the wall in no time, and then in the loft if you don't actively manage.

 

I wouldn't bother. But it's up to you.

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, Tony K said:

question is: am I being mad?

No, you are making appropriate  enquiry. 

I say don't do it. Ivy is superb for wbb's (wee brown birds). We have a wren , a possible greenfinch and a wbb on a small patch covering a neighbour' dreadful outbuilding.

But  is bad for buildings in 1. Clinging to surfaces, 2. Creating damp, 3. Intruding through any gap it can find.

 

So use something else there, like honeysuckle  perhaps and put the ivy up a pole or tree.

 

[Tony K]

Thanks @JohnMo and @saveasteading.

The wall in question rises up to a parapet above a flat roof, so I don't need to worry about ivy getting into a loft. In fact, it would be pretty easy to trim at the top if needed.

I had thought about honeysuckle or other climbers, but few of them are evergreen like Ivy, nor are they as quick growing. 

 

Are neither of you convinced by this arrangement of mesh sitting proud of a wall protected by this magic paint?!

[saveasteading]

54 minutes ago, Tony K said:

this magic paint?

I'm simply dubious about whether the RHS have fully tested this over a period of years OR thought through any other effects it might have.

An advantage of your  proposal is that you could trim or fully hack back the ivy occasionally. perhaps half each year.

 

OR   I have this and it is very vigourous, flowers for ages the remains attractive. we have pigeons (Posh name doves) and sometimes robins  in ours on a trellis.

 

It could almost be known as the 'mile-a-minute' clematis, such is the rapid growth of this variety. Clematis montana 'Mayleen' is the best scented Clematis montana too, with delightful satin-pink ruffled blooms. As if that wasn't enough, it has sparkling bronze foliage too. If you want a quick-growing handsome climber, look no further! Height: 10m (33'). Spread: 3m (10'). Pruning Group: 1.

 

For the mesh, Id get a plastic coated one, as it looks decent when bare.

 

Edited Monday at 13:59 by saveasteading

[Russell griffiths]

Having removed thousands of metres of ivy from all sorts of structures over the years I wouldn’t say this is the worst idea I’ve heard of. 
You will need a robust frame work as it can become very heavy. 
I have only seen building damage occur if the building was in a poor state to start or the ivy was left unchecked. 
for example poor pointing on brickwork, or the ivy getting under the gutter and behind the facia, I’ve seen thousands of pounds worth of damage in these instances. 
 

you would need to build into your life a yearly trim, this would need to be the entire face and would involve getting onto the flat roof and cutting back from the copings. 
 

i would want it cut with a 200-300 mm clear strip of blockwork showing below the parapet coping, allowing it to get under the coping could be disastrous. 
 

you could build in a metal flashing at this level as a boundary. 

[scottishjohn]

you must like working on ladders 

cos you will be doing  it a lot to keep the ivy in check  is no other plant that can do the same --and that flowers 

 

[scottishjohn]

On 10/08/2026 at 20:52, Russell griffiths said:

you could build in a metal flashing at this level as a boundary.

good idea but i think it will just grow past it 

[scottishjohn]

wisteria -- that what i would be considering

 

 you can train it around all your windows etc

 needs trimming twice a year -but not as invasive as ivy

Edited yesterday at 11:01 by scottishjohn

[MikeGrahamT21]

Definitely not ivy.

 

If its a shady wall, you could look at Hydrangea Petolaris which is a climber

[Mr Punter]

This old garden wall had ivy growing in / on it.  It did not do it much good!

 

[S2D2]

+1 for not ivy, there are plenty of less problematic alternatives. I'm still trying to remove one the previous owner planted and it's relentless. 

[Roundtuit]

On 13/08/2026 at 11:59, scottishjohn said:

wisteria -- that what i would be considering

 

 you can train it around all your windows etc

 needs trimming twice a year -but not as invasive as ivy

This.  It needs support wires as it climbs by twisting around itself, but it doesn't cling to brickwork.  Will look bare in winter, but you get the pay-back when it flowers.

[Tony K]

Thanks all. Just to reiterate, I'm not thinking of just growing ivy on the wall of the house. I am thinking about painting the wall of the house in a silane-based, nanoparticle paint, as per the spec in my original post, affixing metal mesh proud of the wall, and growing ivy on the mesh. 

 

I am aware if the need this will generate for me to trim the face of the ivy yearly and to cut it back at the edges. My uncertainty is over whether this paint can actually prevent the plant from attaching itself to the building as advertised. 

 

I have considered various other climbers instead but, even though some flower beautifully in summer, many die back in winter. I'd be looking at a bare wall half the year. Or, they seem to grow quite slowly. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Tony K

[Tony K]

For context, this is the courtyard garden of my SB. The wall on the right is the one I am thinking of treating with the paint, mesh, and ivy. You can see that I've rendered around the windows so that the areas the mesh will not cover are presentable.