Latest news with #ivy
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Council worker hacked down my ivy without asking because 'it made my house look derelict' - it's criminal damage and I'm really annoyed
A council has apologised after a worker hacked down part of a man's garden - because the plants 'made his house looked derelict'. Andrew Wheatley, 60, was surprised when he received a message from his neighbour asking why he was getting rid of his ivy. Andrew, of Brighton, went to check outside and found a council employee had finished hacking away and was sweeping it up. Andrew says the worker told him the authority had received complaints from neighbours about the foliage and it was 'making his house look derelict'. Brighton and Hove City Council admits it was 'wrongly' cut by a council worker - after they received a request for 'weed management in the area'. Mr Wheatley said the council 'cut the main stem' of the ivy and it has died everywhere now. He said: 'My neighbour sent me a text saying 'why are you getting rid of your ivy?' and I said I wasn't getting rid of it. 'I saw this council guy and he said 'we have received complaints from neighbours about it and it is making the place look derelict'. 'At this point he had chopped it all down and it was just sweeping up and clearing it into his bin. 'There was no point going at him because he was just being told what to do. 'I was really annoyed. There was no consultation. The council should have got in touch with me before they did anything. 'It just annoys me that they can go and do whatever they want - it is effectively criminal damage. 'We used to get bees nesting in there and snails so they killed a lot of insects when they did it as well.' A Brighton and Hove Council spokesperson said: 'Unfortunately it seems a well-meaning member of our street cleaning team did indeed remove this ivy. 'We had received a request for regular weed management in this area and on this occasion one of our team visited the street to carry out necessary work and finding only the ivy, wrongly took it to be something which needed cutting back. 'This was an error done with the best intentions, but we appreciate the upset it has caused the owner and apologise for this mistake.' Mr Wheatley said that the ivy had been there since they moved over 10 years ago. He said: 'It grew down the side of my neighbours' driveway. He is really annoyed because now it has died off so he has had to clear it all up.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle warned over 'nightmare' issue at $29m home
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex fled the UK in 2020 and have set up their dream life stateside in Montecito. They have a sprawling $29 million estate with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and it looks picture perfect, but they are being warned that it could be in for "serious damage". Rebecca Bebbington, personal finance expert at NetVoucherCodes has revealed the top 10 summer nightmares that could cost homeowners thousands, and climbing ivy features on the list. Prince Harry and Meghan's mansion is covered in the stuff, which gives it a postcard-worthy façade, but could be doing hidden damage. You may also like Prince Harry and King Charles 'closer than ever' to reconciliation after 'secret' talks "Ivy might make your home look quaint and countryside-chic, but it's no friend to your property," warns Rebecca. She explains: "It clings to mortar, works its way under tiles, and traps moisture against the walls, which can cause serious damage over time." "Once it gets into roof voids or cavities, you could be looking at a bill of £2,000 to £8,000 for removal and repairs," she points out – and that's an estimation for a normal-sized property – not a mammoth mansion! How should homeowners tackle the spread? Rebecca says: "Keep ivy trimmed well below roof level and don't let it spread across multiple walls. If it's already made itself at home, get advice from a specialist on how to remove it safely without damaging your structure." The Sussexes' home is officially named the Chateau of Riven Rock and it is located in the popular enclave of Montecito. Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston are among the A-listers who also live in the area. They instantly fell in love with the property and Meghan told The Cut: "We did everything we could to get this house. Because you walk in and go… Joy. And exhale. And calm. It's healing. You feel free." Amazing video footage of the property has been shared on YouTube by Luxury Homes, featuring sweeping drone footage of the house and its sprawling estate – including the unique Japanese tea room. The couple chose to let cameras into their home for their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan and since Meghan's launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, the family have shared more looks inside their grand home. The gorgeous grounds The garden is most definitely the crowning glory of the couple's home. The family's plot stretches for 7.38 acres and includes a playpark, outdoor swimming pool, kitchen garden and an abundance of fruit trees. The Sussexes love to spend lots of time outdoors and we've seen Archie and Lilibet helping in the garden, feeding the chickens and picking flowers.
The Sun
05-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
45p homemade solution gardeners swear by for killing ivy – it works in a couple of days & stops it growing back
IVY may look pretty but it can be impossible to remove from the exterior of your home. The invasive plant climbs up your walls and may eventually cause damage to your brickwork. 2 If your house is covered in this stubborn growth, a simple trick can help to banish it from your property. In one swoop, you can kill off any ivy and prevent it from growing back. And all you need is two kitchen ingredients that won't break the bank. The DIY solution is recommended by Chris Bonnett from Gardening Express. 'A few strands of ivy can look great in a garden but if English ivy starts to grow over leaves and plants, it can cause significant damage," he explained. As well as damaging your brickwork, ivy can also prevent other plants from receiving essential nutrients from sunlight. To tackle this issue, the gardening expert advises homeowners to tackle the root of the problem, literally. Killing the roots is a crucial step, and while some people suggest using natural methods such as boiling water, this expert has a different method. He revealed that he swears by a homemade solution of apple cider vinegar and salt. "The salt dehydrates the ivy and disrupts its water balance, while the acidic content of the mixture helps kill it," he explained. Shoppers urged 'not to blink' and get their hands on Home Bargains garden essential that sold out fast last time and it makes your garden extra cute - TikTok homebargainsofficialuk This means when the foliage has died, you can remove the roots to stop it coming back However, he warned against spraying the mixture onto the plant. Instead, the pro recommended manually apply it in a careful manner. 'Put on some gardening gloves and rub the solvent onto the ivy as using a spray bottle could damage nearby plants," he said. For the best results, apply the solution on a dry day and check the forecast to make sure no rain is expected for the following days. This concoction should start working immediately, eliminating the remaining ivy within five days, according to the expert. And while the mixture should put an end to your ivy problem, it won't have any long-term effects on your soil. You can execute this method without breaking the bank. A 350ml bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar is available from Tesco for just £1.50. But since you will only need around 100ml to carry out this process, the cost breaks down to just 43p. And tack on an additional 2p for the five teaspoons of table salt you can take from the 750g bottle from Sainsbury's, available for just 69p.
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Northern Club's historic Auckland building damaged by ivy
The Northern Club in Auckland's CBD. Photo: Google Maps Auckland's exclusive Northern Club has been damaged by the iconic ivy that covers the exterior of the building. The 156-year-old private members' club in the central city paused ivy growth last year while investigating how best to proceed with the building's restoration. The club said it had identified the ivy, which covered the outside of the building had been causing damage to the historic clubhouse, compromising the façade. Scaffolding had been put up to safeguard the façade, it said. A spokesperson for the club - which only accepts new members by invitation - told RNZ the future of the greenery was uncertain. "Once the façade of the clubhouse has been restored and we are confident in the integrity of the façade, we will then review what we will be doing with the ivy," they said. "We need to ensure that it will not compromise the integrity of the façade in the future." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
