The sight of Ivy covered walls gives me pleasure through the Autumn and into Winter. It is one of the last plants to flower providing  pollen and nectar for insects before winter, and now the flowers have grown into berries which provide a rich food source  for many birds in otherwise lean times.

Ivy grows in deep shade and very dry places providing a wildlife habitat where other plants struggle,  and as ground cover Ivy lessens the effect of frost letting creatures forage in cold weather. The dense growth gives roosts and nesting places for birds, insects and small mammals.

Many gardeners see Ivy as a weed and sedulously destroy it. It may need retaining, but for wildlife it is a blessing and where would we be without our wildlife? I give thanks for Ivy.