Friday Favorite: Kenilworth Ivy
Kenilworth Ivy (Cymbalaria muralis) is one of my favorite little creeping plants. The first time I saw it was years ago on my first visit to Longwood Gardens. I didn’t know the name of it at the time, but discovered it a few years later. In my Ohio garden, it was growing in the rock walls and I loved it.
I purchased a plant a few years ago, but it didn’t survive that winter, most likely because I planted it in the garden. When Mr Chiots and I visited the Hagley Museum last fall, I collected a few seeds from one the plants growing on an old stone building. I started them in a pot when I got home and this spring I had a few nice plants to add to the rock walls in front of the house.
They grew beautifully this summer and creeped through the rocks. I’m hoping they help stabilize the soil in the beds behind the rock walls, the soil has a tendency to get washed out leaving the walls less than secure and full of holes.
Now that these little plants are thriving in a rock well, they should survive the winter because of the extra heat from the rocks. Just in case they don’t, I have two small pots of ivy in my indoor garden. If the plants in the rock walls don’t survive this winter, I’ll simply grow a flat or two of plugs every year to plant in spring.
Do you have a favorite creeping plant?
Filed under Around the Garden | Comments (3)
I like your indoor garden! I’ve been caring for some houseplants since I don’t have time for an outdoor garden right now. It makes me so happy to have plants inside.
to Sierra N Hampl's comment
I absolutely love kenilworth ivy, too! I built a stone wall around our well and planted the ivy a couple years ago. It grew up and over and through the rocks and was such a beautiful focal point in the yard. It did not come back the next year, though, and I’ve been unable to find any seed or plants anywhere. I did see small patches of it growing on the rocks this year, and possibly through out the bed so if it is back next year I will absolutely bring some inside so I can have it year after year.
to Jill's comment
Susy, ha, yeah, the only creeping vine in my garden is bind weed and I wouldn’t say I’m terribly fond of it. I did discovered that bindweed is an edible plant but I’d have to be pretty hungry to eat a bowl of bindweed. People in Turkey eat it like spinach. If that truly is the case and there’s a food shortage, I could feed the city if I had to. I did manage to keep the weed under some control this year but there’s always next year. It is a relentless plague that never goes away. One plant can cover a 100 square foot area if left unchecked. It can spread millions of seeds from a single plant. So, yeah, I’m just not too fond of spreading Ivy plants.
Have a great Kenilworth Ivy day.
to Nebraska Dave's comment