Ivydene Gardens Photo Damage by Plants in Chilham:
Page 3 has photos of Pleached Trees which cause damage to houses in Chilham from the
chilham 20-08-2013 Folder
taken on 18 August 2013 at the Chilham Village in Kent.

Photos taken by Chris Garnons-Williams using a digital camera in the original size and as a thumbnail.
These can used in the Public Domain for educational purposes in schools, or at home, to:-

• Assist in selecting a plant.
• To be used in providing details of plants and their colours for use in a painting,
• in Jewellery,
• in the shape of plants in stone, metal or ceramic statuary,
• pictures on homemade greetings cards, or
• posters for display on walls at home.

Row 1 has the Pass-Through Camera image of Thumbnail image named in Row 2
and is usually 4000 x 3000 pixels.

Row 2 has same image reduced to fit the image frame of 160 x 120 pixels as a
Passthrough Thumbnail to show all of the Camera Image. This image has been
reduced to 72 pixels per inch by Freeway before I stored it as a Passthrough image
for use both here (from August 2019) and as the image in
Plant with Photo Index of Ivydene Gardens A 1 Gallery.

Click on either image and drag to your desktop.
Then you can crop the Pass-Through Camera image to obtain the particular detail
that you require from that image, before using that cropped result in your endeavour.

Copying the pages and then clicking on the images to drag them may not work.

Plant is
Chilham pleached trees IMG 7183.JPG
taken on 18 August 2013 in Chilham Village by Chris Garnons-Williams.

Subsidence caused by these tree roots:-
Subsidence can be caused by tree roots being too close to buildings as shown in
What to do about subsidence caused by clay? page.
These buildings have inadequate foundations:-
“Doomed from the start”. Since 1950 building foundations have been placed at not less
than 900mm below ground level. Since that time, very few cases of subsidence have
been reported to houses with foundations of such a depth purely due to this
foundation depth:-

• Assumed depth of foundations for properties older than 1930 is 0.6metres,
• 1930-1950 is 0.7metres,
• 1950-1976 is 0.9metres,
• 1976-1986 is 1.0metres,
• since 1986 without trees at time of construction is 1.0metres for sand,
  1.25metres for sandy/clay and 1.5metres for clay subsoil.

The minimum horizontal separation distance in very highly shrinkable clay for
Hawthorn is 5 metres and 24 metres for Poplar. These trees have probably got
their roots under this house and will cause it damage.

Brick damaged by using cement rather than lime:-
From the view of the chimneys and the bricks on the buildings, these are very old buildings
probably built pre 1800 with locally made bricks and lime mortar rather than concrete.
"Under cracking conditions, Portland cement breaks, whereas lime often produces numerous
microcracks if the amount of movement is small. These microcracks recrystallise through the
action of 'free lime' effectively self-healing the affected area.
Historic buildings are frequently constructed with relatively soft masonry units (e.g. soft brick
and many types of stone), and minor movement in such buildings is quite common due to
the nature of the foundations. This movement breaks the weakest part of the wall, and with
Portland cement mortar this is usually the masonry. When lime mortar is used, the lime is the
weaker element, and the mortar cracks in preference to the masonry. This results in much
less damage, and is relatively simple to repair.
Lime mortar is more porous than cement mortars, and it wicks any dampness in the wall
to the surface where it evaporates. Thus any salt content in the water crystallises on the
lime, damaging the lime and thus saving the masonry. Cement, on the other hand,
evaporates water less than soft brick, so damp issues are liable to cause salt formation and
spalling on brick surfaces and consequent disintegration of bricks. This damp evaporation
ability is widely referred to as 'breathability'." from Wikipedia.
It would appear that the bricks have been repointed with cement rather than lime mortar,
and it is also likely that the replaced rendering is also cement rather than lime. With
house movement the cement will break and break the bricks with it.
When I had my back
wall render replaced, I had to have a Planning Committee meeting in my back garden to
convince them that it had to be lime and not cement based render. It is likely that in
1973 the back wall had been rendered with cement, since it is quicker and cheaper to do
and the local council is very fond of keeping listed buildings as thery were when listed rather
than doing the correct conservation process. Since my kitchen is 15th century, the front
extension seventeenth century and the back extension 18th century, then if they wanted
it to be correct for the time, then the windows would not have had glass in them, partly
due to cost and partly due to the Window Tax.

Where is the mulch to provide the nourishment for it to grow and the irrigation
system to provide the tree roots with water?
The safe way to have these pleached trees is to dig down to the bottom of the foundations,
then install 20cms thick of Type I Roadstone over the whole of the front garden. Then
install 2 layers of weed control fabric like Plantex RootBarrier over the front garden area
including where the path and steps are to go and up to above the proposed ground level.
Install topsoil - Topsoil/Manure, Topsoil/Mushroom Compost and Topsoil/Peat Free Compost
bulk bag composition from Gardenscape Direct. Install Water Butts to collect the rainwater
from the gutter downpipes to irrigate the front garden. Build your steps of brick (use
Air Bricks on the side walls to allow the earth of the garden access and the water/air
access as well) with sharp sand under them. Install Plantex Groundgrid on top of the steps,
the path to the front door and the rest of the front garden. Fill the Plantex Groundgrid
with sharp sand. Cut holes in the Plantex Groundgrid to put trees, shrubs in. Intall Leaky Pipe
system above or below the Plantex Groundgrid using the water from the Water Butts for irrigation. You
will then have a safe, non-slippery route to your front door, access for garden maintenance
and resting places for the window cleaner. Your shrubs/trees will receive a better volume
of soil with access to air and the direct as well as the stored rain. Liquid manure can be
poured over the Plantex Groundgrid to provide food for those plants and your house will not
be undermined by the roots of the vegetation. Why not plant spinach in the garden part using
the same system as specified in the penultimate row of this page to provide nitrogen for the other plants
and a mulch in the autumn for the worms to take down during the winter. Then you can plant
spinach or another green manure in the spring.

Plant is
Chilham pleached trees IMG 7184.JPG
taken on 18 August 2013 in Chilham Village by Chris Garnons-Williams

Plant is
Chilham pleached trees IMG 7186.JPG
taken on 18 August 2013 in Chilham Village by Chris Garnons-Williams

Sucker Growths from Page 34 of The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers by
George E. Brown - Formerly Assistant Curator, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew:-
"These spring from below ground level, either from or in the region of the root
system. They should be taken off cleanly as close as possible to the point of
origin on the stem. It may be necessary to scape the soil away to reach the
bases of the sucker shoots. The exposed piece should be wiped free of soil with
a cloth, so that the secateurs or knife do not come into contact with the grit which
may spoil the cutting edge."

Plant is
Chilham pleached trees IMG 7187.JPG
taken on 18 August 2013 in Chilham Village by Chris Garnons-Williams

Plant is
Chilham pleached trees IMG 7188.JPG
taken on 18 August 2013 in Chilham Village by Chris Garnons-Williams

The pleaching of these trees provides a little privacy and may reduce the visibility of the
downstairs room from the house across the road.

I have copied the archived post below, because what is stated there is extremely important, since 99.99% of
gardeners in the UK totally ignore the fact that plants require humus and think that double-digging is beneficial
every year. That is why they are killing their soil and their plants do not grow well.

How Soil Works in the Category Archives: Flowering House Plants of Houseplantsguru. com:-

"Nature’s plan is to build up the humus year after year and this can only be done by organic matter. There is need
to replace and return that which has been taken out. The Chinese, who are the best gardeners, collect, ‘use’, and
return to the soil, every possible kind of waste, vegetable, animal and human. In over 4000 years of intensive
cultivation they still support more human beings per hectare than any other country in the world! On the other
hand in areas like the Middle West of the U.S.A. And the Regina Plain of Canada, where the Wheel of Life has not
been recognized, tens of thousands of hectares which once grew heavy crops are now useless, or practically so.

Every flower crop grown reduces the organic content of the ground. Every piece of work done helps to break down
the humus. The value of the soil in your garden, therefore, is not the mica particles or grains of sand. It lies in the
humus that the soil contains. Humus makes all the difference to successful gardening. Have plenty of humus
present and the soil is in good tilth. Humus is the organic colloid of the soil. It can store water, it can store plant
foods, it can help to keep the soil open. It can help to ensure the right aeration. It will give ideal insulation against
heat and cold.

Using Compost

Garden owners proposing to dig their land shallowly in preparation for flower growing, should realize the
importance of adding ample quantities of organic matter before they start. Composted farmyard manure, fine
wool shoddy, properly composted vegetable refuse, or hop manure should be added at the rate of one good
barrow-load to 10 m2 (12 sq yds) and in addition into the top 25 or 50 mm (1 or 2 in) of soil finely divided sedge
peat, non-acid in character should be raked in at about half a bucketful (9 litres) per square metre (2 gallons per
sq yd). This organic matter in the top few millimetres of soil gives the little roots a good start and so sends them
on to find the organic matter below.

It is when the organic content of the soil has been helped in this way, that the gardener dares to add plant foods
of an organic origin. These are usually applied on the surface of the ground and raked in. Fertilizers with an
organic base are particularly useful. Fish Manure may be applied at 105 to 140 g/m2 (3 oz to 4 oz per sq yd), or a
meat and bone meal or even hoof and horn meal mixed with equal quantities of wood ashes may be used at a
similar rate. These plant foods can be supplied not only when the flower garden is first made but every season
very early in the spring. A good dried poultry manure to which a little potash has been added is another fertilizer
that is very useful when applied at this time.

Minimum Digging

Flower growers must realize that proper soil treatment is the first essential to success. The millions and millions
of soil bacteria that live in the ground to help the gardener, much appreciate little or no digging. It enables
them to work better, for they need conditions which are natural. So do give them what they need.

Liming

Lime should be regarded as an essential except in very definite cases where acidity is demanded, e.g. the
heaths and heathers, rhododendrons and azaleas.

Lime not only prevents soil from being acid but it ‘sweetens’ it, as well as playing its part as a plant food.
It improves the texture and workability of heavy soils. It helps to release other plant foods, and it
decomposes organic compounds in the soil so that they can be used as plant food also.

Generally speaking it should be applied at about 245 g/m2 (7 oz per sq yd). It should not be dug in, as it
washes down into the soil very quickly. It should be sprinkled on the surface of the ground after the digging
and manuring has been done. Do not mix lime with organic fertilizers. There are three main types of lime:
Quicklime, sometimes sold as Buxton Lime or Lump Lime, which has to be slaked down on the soil;
Chalk or Limestone, often sold as Ground Limestone, only half as valuable as quicklime; and
Hydrated Lime, which is perhaps the most convenient to handle and is therefore most usually used by gardeners.
The quantity of lime mentioned previously i.e. 245 g/m2 (7 oz per sq yd), refers to hydrated lime."
 

The following is the opinion of Chris Garnons-Williams to the above:-

If you walk through an old wooded area, which is not intensively managed, you will see dead leaves on the
ground, together with fallen branches, brambles, nettles, other weeds and juvenile plants. There will be
waste material from birds and animals and this has not been cleared up and disposed of. This mulch then
provides the organic material to be recycled via the ground with its different organisms to the roots of those
same trees for them to continue to grow.
Nobody digs up the ground to push this material in a few inches or to the depth of the topsoil, nature does it
with earthworms and other organisms at the rate required by the organisms down below to then use it. The
trees in this wood then grow fairly uniformly using the available resources.

So, do not dig the manure, wool shoddy, vegetable refuse or hop manure or anything else in. Leave it on top
as a mulch and that includes the organic fertilizers and the lime.
Instead of adding finely divided sedge peat, add spent mushroom compost which contains peat which has
already been used; and so you are using their waste product for recycling, instead of destroying more peat
bogs which have taken 1000's of years to be created. You could use bracken instead of peat.

The topsoil is full of organisms, either the waste products from are used by another or they are. If you turn
them up from the bottom of the topsoil to the top, then those new top ones will starve to death and the ones
who were at the top are now at the bottom and they will as well since it is only waste down there which is
not their normal fare. They do have a bus transport system to get them back to their original levels, since water
is the only transport system down there, which unfortunately normally goes downwards.

So why do you not use the companion planting cultivation method as further detailed in Companion Planting?
You may follow this with the following which is normally used for the vegetable garden:-

"Spinach is sown in spring in rows 50cm apart over the whole vegetable garden area for the following
purposes:

• these rows divide the vegetable garden up for the whole year,
• the spinach roots prevent erosion, so the usual paths between beds are omitted,
• young spinach plants provide protection and shade for the vegetable crops to be grown between them,
• spinach provides ideal material for sheet surface composting, which becomes an intermediate space, a footpath, and
• it is in between these lines of spinach that the other vegetable varieties are arranged."

This could be used in the flower beds as the system between the permanent plants of trees, shrubs
and perennials, which is where you may put bedding. This will also provide you with access to the bedding
and the permanent plants together with the nitrogen fertilizer for the other plants from the legumes of
spinach.
You plant your bedding, bulbs or vegetables through the mulch between the lines of spinach. The damage you
do to where you plant is fairly quickly repaired by the organisms in the surrounding soil, who each come into
the level below the ground level where they normally reside, until they meet their relatives onthe other side of
the planting hole. The ecosystem is then restored.
 

Picture Folder Name Pages:-

Since 14 June 2019 I have also started to put my own full-sized 4000 x 3000 digital Camera images into the relevant topics in this website again for use in the Public Domain - since there may be 9 or more to a page the resulting
43 Mb website page may take some time to load. Since I have more than 26,522 photos using 111,460 Mb of my disk space, then the extra upfront cost per annum before creating more folders like Photo coleus is just over 3.16 pence per photo has been paid for the total number in that entire photo collection before any are sent to the website.
It is hoped that you may find them of interest.

Coleus Bedding Foliage Trial Folder
from Plant Trials Field in RHS Garden
at Wisley taken on
2 October 2013
2, Blue to Purple Flowers
3, Red to Pink Flowers 1, 2
4, Green Flowers
5, Black or Brown Flowers
6, Yellow, and Orange Flowers
7, White Flowers
8,
9, Low-Growing
10,
11, Medium-Growing
12, Tall-Growing
13, Heat-Tolerant
14, Moist Soil
15, Shade
16, Indoors
17, Cutting
18, Naturalize
19, Decorative Foliage
20, Edging
21, Fragrance
22, Hanging Baskets
23, Vining
24, Wildflower Meadows
25, Coastal Gardens
26, Mounded Habit
27, Erect Habit
28, Clump-Forming Habit
29, Compact/Bushy Habit
30, Spreading/Sprawling Habit
31, To Cover Fences
32, Odds and Sods 1, 2
Coleus Bedding Trial Index
Range, Culture and Description Details of each of the above are within
Essential Annuals The 100 best for Design and Cultivation.
Text by Elizabeth Murray. Photography by Derek Fell.
Published by Crescent Books in 1989. ISBN 0-517-66177-2

Bedding Gallery has
other bedding plants, in their
flower colour,
flower shape and
bedding plant use
pages.

Topic - Flower/Foliage Colour
Colour Wheel Galleries
Following your choice using Garden Style then that changes your Plant Selection Process
Garden Style
...Infill Plants
...12 Bloom Colours per Month Index
...12 Foliage Colours per Month Index
...All Plants Index
...Cultivation, Position, Use Index
...Shape, Form
Index
Further details on Bedding from the Infill Plants Galleries of the above topic:-
...for Spring
...for Summer
...for Autumn
...for Winter
...for Sandy Soil
...for Acid Soil
...for Chalky Soil
...for Clay Soil
...Flower Colour:-
......Black
......Blue
......Orange
......Pink
......Purple
......Red
......White
......Yellow
......Multi-coloured
...Use of Bedding:-
......Aromatic Fol
......Scented Flo
......Long Flo
......Coloured Fol
......for Bees, etc
......Cut Flos
......Hanging Pot
......Pots/ Troughs
......Screening
......Window Box
......Bedding Out
......Filling in
Further details on Annuals from the Infill Galleries:-
Uses of Annuals
...Exposed Sites
...Sheltered Sites
...in Greenhouse
...Extra Poor Soil
...Very Rich Soil
...Gap Filling
...Patio Pots
...Cut Flowers 1, 2
...Everlasting Flos
...Attract Insects
...with Fragrance
...Bee Pollinated
...Annual Pairing
...Low-Growing
...Med-Growing
...Tall Growing
...Flower Colour:-
......Black/Brown
......Blue-Purple
......Green
......Red-Pink
......White
......Yellow/Orange
...for its Foliage
...in Moist Soil
...in Shade
...as Houseplants
...Edging Beds
...Hanging Basket
...Vining Annuals

Damage to Trees in Pavement in Madeira caused by the action of man during January/February 2019.

Solution to holes in trees.
Remove mesh covers and rot within the hole. Then blast the remaining rot with a high pressure water hose to try and clear more of the rot. Spray with Boron (a water based preservative kills only wood boring insects - not spiders, birds or bats) as a treatment for insect, wet and dry rot attack. While it is still wet, apply a layer of Expanding Foam to the bottom of the hole. Immediately place bottles on this 
and allow to set for 5 minutes. Apply another layer of expanding foam and another layer of bottles. The aim of the bottles is to occupy space, they are not there as a deterrent. That is why the foam has to be in contact with the inside of the tree not the glass bottle. The poisons in the foam will kill anything eating it and the foam does stick better when wet with water. Keep up this operation until the hole is covered. 
Leave to set and then paint the foam surface twice with a recommended water-based, but not oil-based, sealant.

Solutions to stop creating holes in trees.
When a branch is cut off, remember to cut it off on the other side of the Branch Collar. (See Figure 1 - Optimum position of the final pruning cut in "Guide to Tree Pruning" by the Arboricultural Association which shows the branch collar within and outside the tree. My Comments: I disagree with their recommendation not to apply wound paint as you can see the result if you do not paint trees which are dehydrated, starved and gassed as these trees in the pavements of Madeira are.) 
Once that is done, then immediately apply Boron and 2 coats of protective sealant as used for holes in trees above.

Solution to current problem on these mosaic pavements:-
Carefully remove the existing marble mosaic, concrete, tarmac, or paver and 
the concrete/metal enclosures round the trees. If any further solid material like gravel, bricks, stones etc can be removed as well, then do so. Level the ground with sharp sand (Sharp sand is like pyramids which lock together, builder's sand is like ball bearings which displaces itself elsewhere if it can when downward pressure is applied to it). 
The time to execute the above and complete the refilling with sharp sand must 
be completed within 20 minutes, otherwise the exposed roots will dry up and die. 
It is useful to now water it to settle the sand and keep the roots wet. Put the roll 
of continuous geotextile over the top before laying down the CEDAdrive slabs on 
top. Fill the slabs with the required colours of marble pea-shingle and leave a 
3 inch (7.5 cm) gap between the trunk and the CEDAdrive section (Besides black 
and white marble, you can get many other colours). Spead Green Manure seed in 
the gap and cover to the same level as the top of the CEDAdrive with its pea-shingle; 
with sharp sand. The Green manure will provide a little nourishment for the tree 
and protection for the expanding trunk, together with protection from cigarettes. 
Further protection can be carried out by providing seating round the trunk, so that 
old fogeys like me can rest.
Pop-up irrigation water pipes can be supplied from these water manholes currently in the pavements and they can be set to irrigate each section in rotation from 
Midnight to 06:00 in the morning. A dissolved mixture of seaweed, fully composted animal waste and fully worm composted human food waste from restaurants/hotels can be applied over a pavement an hour before that section is irrigated 3 times a year to provide the same fertilizer regime as practised by the gardeners at the Pestana Mirimar for that hotel's garden. The drained solids from the above fertilizer solution can be applied over the sand between the tree and the CEDAdrive.
An alternative to using marble pea-shingle is Topmix Permeable Concrete within the CEDAdrive slabs. This would perform the same function as the marble pea-shingle, but it may be cheaper and quicker to use in other pavements. The depth of the Cedadrive slabs might have to be increased if traffic is allowed to cross or park on this type of pavement surface.

166 trees in the pavements in a short section of a road in Funchal, Madeira are being slowly, starved, dehydrated, asphyxiated, poisoned by tarmac and concrete, burnt inside their hollow trunks, roots pounded by 40 ton lorries or shoes of pedestrians, and allowed to rot until killed off during February 2019 (see information in Problems with trees in pavements in Funchal, Madeira in January/February 2018 Page, which appears to have had no effect) as shown by my 433 photos in the following pages within the Home Topic:-

• Death of tree roots and
• Death of tree trunks/branches caused by people.
• Solution to problems for trees caused by people using irrigation -
  Growth of Pollarded Tree in Hotel Garden in 1 year provides a water solution to this destruction.
• Damage to Tree Trunks 1, 2, 3, 4 caused by people,
• Damage to Tree Roots caused by people,
• Area of Open Ground round trees,
• New Trees in pavements 1, 2,
• Irrigation of current trees,
• Watersprouts on trees,
• Crossing Branches in trees,
• Utility Equipment with tree Foliage,
• Lights on trees,
• Bycycle Lane in Pavement,
• Public Gardens alongside pavements,
• Hotel/Private Gardens alongside pavements,
• Current Permeable Pavement Surface round trees and
• Irrigation and Fertilising of trees.

Articles on

• Branch Collar (see Solutions to stop creating holes in trees above) and the importance of leaving all of it while cutting off that branch
• My repair to a 1300 year old yew tree in my church at the bottom of pages 1-12
• Some of my work on trees using a chainsaw and chipper-shredder on page 13
• Protective Dressing, Cavities and 'do not use plastic twine or wire to tie a plant' are at the bottom of pages 14-25 with Forked Leaders, also Terminal Bud and Dormant Branch Growth Bud.
  Details on Boron woodworm, wet and dry wood rot treatment on Page 16.
• Ways to install trees at the bottom of pages 26-37 includes the following on watering - "Throughout the warm, summer weather, the tree will need the equivalent of 1 inch (2.5 cm) of rain per week and this water needs to be applied about twice each week (My Comments - since this is over the entire root area of this tree - which is at least the radius from the trunk of the height of the tree - then if the CEDAdrive slabs are used, apply 0.5 inchs (1.25 cms) of irrigation twice a week to that entire area).  Approximately 5-10 gallons (20 – 40 liters) of water is sufficient to moisten a 20-inch (50 cm) diameter root ball.  A 40-inch (100 cm) diameter root ball has more than twice the volume and would require 35-45 gallons (130 – 170 liters). 
  Another way to measure water need is with the following formula:   The tree needs 5 gallons minimum and 5 additional gallons per inch of diameter (DBH); hence a 3 inch DBH tree needs 20 gallons of water per week to equal 1 inch of rainfall, in other words, 5 gallons minimum + (3 X 5) 15 gallons = 20 gallons."
• The Pruning and Maintenance of Mature Trees:
  • 'Lifting' or the removal of the lower branch systems,
  • Crown Thinning and
  • Crown Reduction
  • at the bottom of
    pages 38-45
• Explaination of watersprouts and watershoots in the Watersprouts on Trees in Pavements in Funchal, Madeira Page. These should be removed from the trees since they are weakly joind to the branch/trunk from which they originated and are dangerous to use as supports for electricians or tree surgeons; as well as likely to fall down in a storm.

List of Pictures in a Picture Folder:-

Plants which cause damage to houses in
Chilham Village in Kent
on 18 August 2013.
 

Damage by Climber in Chilham Village
Page 1

Chilham climber
IMG 7162.JPG
This shows the non-rose climber growing out of the roof between kent peg tiles. Rain water will follow this climber back under the roof tiles and either enter the house or soak the house bricks. A wet brick when frozen will break apart.
The lime mortar is not strong enough to support nails, screws and its climber support structure, nor are the bricks - it is more sensible to use an independent climber support structure to prevent either damage to the mortar or the brick.

Chilham climber
IMG 7163.JPG

Chilham climber
IMG 7164.JPG

Chilham climber
IMG 7165.JPG

Chilham climber
IMG 7166.JPG

Chilham climber
IMG 7167.JPG

Damage by Ivy Climber in Chilham Village Page 2

Chilham ivy climber
IMG 7168.JPG
Ivy, with its strong attachment to walls, can be a worry to homeowners, concerned about whether it might damage wall surfaces or block gutters. Copper and zinc sheets, as well as dense copper mesh, completely prevented ivy attachment, while otherwise not compromising healthy plant growth. Self-clinging climbers such as Boston ivy and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus sp.) do not usually cause damage to wall surfaces, but common or English ivy (Hedera helix sp.) supports itself by aerial roots and where these penetrate cracks or joints they may cause structural damage. Sound masonry is unaffected.

Chilham ivy climber
IMG 7169.JPG
You can see the aerial roots from the removed ivy and the removed masonry paint from the render caused by being pulled off with the ivy. You can also see the new aeriial roots on the current ivy.

Chilham ivy climber
IMG 7177.JPG
Ivy can damage brickwork, the rendering holding the bricks together, downpipes, guttering, it can grow into your drains, and it can affect the performance of your rainwater goods causing damp in your walls. If you have ever seen a property that has had extensive ivy removed from it you will appreciate what we mean. The ‘scarring’ of a property can be extensive and don’t think you can claim on your building insurance policy – it won’t be covered.

Chilham ivy climber
IMG 7178.JPG
Ivy on buildings ... ... ... However, the serious problem with ivy is seen to be "its rapid growth with aerial roots intruding into joints and displacing stones or bricks. Suckers and tendrils will also contribute to surface decay, easpecially of mortar by the secretion of acid substances. ... ... ... the stability of an entire wall can be threatened.

Chilham ivy climber
IMG 7182.JPG
Ivy, and especially European ivy (H. helix) grows vigorously and clings by means of fibrous roots, which develop along the entire length of the stems. These are difficult to remove, leaving an unsightly "footprint" on walls, and possibly resulting in expensive resurfacing work. Additionally, ivy can quickly invade gutters and roofspaces, lifting tiles and causing blockages. It also harbors mice and other creatures.

Chilham ivy growing over wall
IMG 7193.JPG
At least this ivy has been kept away from the house, but it is still on a lime-based mortar of a soft, historic brick wall which is not suitable for a climber which attaches itself using roots.The Climber Plant Gallery specifies a 3 sector vertical plant system for climbers on a wall and which type of climber is suitable for house walls.

Damage by Pleached Trees in Chilham Village Page 3

Chilham pleached trees
IMG 7183.JPG
Subsidence can be caused by tree roots being too close to buildings as shown in What to do about subsidence caused by clay? page. Where is the mulch to provide the nourishment for it to grow and the irrigation system to provide the tree roots with water?

Chilham pleached trees
IMG 7184.JPG

Chilham pleached trees
IMG 7186.JPG

Chilham pleached trees
IMG 7187.JPG

Chilham pleached trees
IMG 7188.JPG

Damage by Roof Gardens in Chilham Village Page 4

Chilham roof garden
IMG 7189.JPG
It is unfortunate that this shrub is growing in the downpipe for this guttering. The rainwater on the right is left to go into the gutter and then pour out the end which is missing its socketed end. The rainwater on the left is left to go into the gutter and then overflow, so that the paint is removed by the cast iron rusting under it. The lead above the gutter continues round to form a valley to drain the rainwater from the junction of these 2 roofs. This then stops the rainwater in this valley from getting under the roof and soaking the top of the wall, and that is why they had to repoint it because the lime mortar had been washed out. The cream soffit area appears currently to be quite dirty from the detritus on the roof above being washed onto it from the rainwater overflowing the gutter.When the roof work was done, it would have been kind of the roofers to have removed the shrub, cleared the downpipe and attached a socketed end to stop any further damage as well as their other work on the roof.

Chilham roof garden
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This climber has reached the top of the chimney brickwork and has already got under both aerial supporting wires. It has therefore a good hold on this area and 3 shoots have dipped to the kent peg tile roof. Maybe, they will start a new climber there within the kent peg tile roof. 2 of the bricks on the chimney are suffering from spalling. These bricks will disappear and the adjoining ones suffer the same problem.

Chilham roof garden
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Chilham roof garden
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There is a lot of detritus between these valley kent peg tiles with the remains of roots and probably corms growing there as well. This detritus will absorb the rainwater and move it under the tiles causing problems.There is detritus on each of the kent peg valley tile valleys in the 2 photos below. Mine is lead valley instead of kent peg valley tiles and does not keep its detritus.

Chilham kent peg tile valley instead of lead IMG 7175.JPG

Chilham kent peg tile valley instead of lead IMG 7176.JPG

Chilham witches broom of probably mistletoe
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Very useful Xmas decoration if only a small section removed each year.

Chilham witches broom of probably mistletoe
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Plant Labelling - A suggestion for plant labelling to help visitors

A different solution is that each gardening member of the RHS staff at Wisley be provided with Large White Plastic Angled-Head Labels which are 20 inches (50 cms) in height with a 6 x 4 inch (16 x 10 cms) writing surface and a Marker pen with Black ink to provide a good temporary label for the above broken label (in Lost Flowers page) or for missing labels.
Then, the black background permanent label could be ordered at the end of that working day to replace this temporary label, which has been inserted into the ground in front of the relevant plant section.

If you are concerned about these labels going on "Walkabout", then insert another white label behind the plant and make it invisible to the public.

Site design and content copyright ©October 2019. Topics table changed May 2020.
Chris Garnons-Williams.

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