An Ivy in Stuttgart
- When I first saw
this ivy (Hedera helix) growing on a round stone wall in Stuttgart, Germany,
I was pleasantly shocked. The ivy trunks were about 2 to 3 inches in
diameter and they must have been hundreds of years old. My tiny and straggly
little spider-mite infested house plant was no comparison. The ivy climbed
up the stone wall and grew around windows at least 4 or 5 stories above
ground. How many people may have used that ivy to climb down or up to
safety, one could only imagine. The ivy leaves were rich in color and as
turgid as one would expect from a well nurtured plant. I just loved
the similarity between the plant and the stone wall. Both lasted hundreds of
years and vast numbers of people coming and going and celebrating around the
area. I imagined that, originally, if not still today, the circular hole at
the lower right side of the image probably dumped water from the rooftops.
The strong play between the trunk of the ivy, and the stone wall, as well as
the repetition between the circular shapes of the stone wall, the paving in
the foreground and the drainage hole was very powerful. I took this shot
with my Pentax SLR camera and a Pentax 50 mm lens on Ilford 400 ASA Delta
Professional film (one of my favorites because I rarely use a flash).
- So why am I putting this picture here? Well, because I believe that this is an example of permaculture at its very best. Consider that the plant is obviously in an ideal spot, otherwise it would not have survived so many generations of humans coming and going around it, kicking it, brandishing torches around it, grabbing on to it in a drunken stupor and perhaps even climbing it to avoid being mugged for that tiny bag of silver. In addition the plant has an insulating effect on the building by reducing air flow over its surface. That makes it ideal for keeping the coolness indoors in summer and the cold outside in winter. The ivy clings to the wall without disintegrating the stone and the root system does not interfere with the foundation. It climbs by means of curious fibers resembling roots, which shoot out from every part of the stem. Small disks at the ends of these aerial root-like fibers, adapt themselves to the surface upon which they are in contact. These fibers become true roots once they dig into a crevice or come in contact with soil, whence they can provide nourishment. It is apparently one of few vines that does not make the underlying wall damp. The large size of the plant along with it's numerous branches makes it ideal as a shelter and nesting area for birds and other small animals. The leaves and plant are not bothered by the usual city pollutants. Flowers appear in huge numbers and provide bees with a good source of nectar. The berries, which do not ripen until several months after flowering, provide winter food for many birds including thrushes, pigeons and blackbirds. The plant is aesthetically pleasing and harmonious with its surroundings - and by this I also mean with its reputation. The plant was well known in Greek times as an emblem of fidelity and wreaths were often given to newly married couples.
- So, if you go by my loose guidelines for good site design, this plant and stone wall arrangement scores very highly. My simple rule is that a plant must serve more than one purpose. In fact, it should serve as many purposes as possible, and it should exist in harmony with other plants and objects. In this case, the shelter, aesthetics, food, insulation, reputation and resilience make it probably the best plant for this location.
- For those who want to see the plant, go to the central part of Stuttgart and look for Konig Strasse. Along this you'll find a very old church from about 1200 A.D. and in that same courtyard you'll find the ivy growing against the stone wall. I've seen it twice so far and both times have left me flabbergasted!
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- So why am I putting this picture here? Well, because I believe that this is an example of permaculture at its very best. Consider that the plant is obviously in an ideal spot, otherwise it would not have survived so many generations of humans coming and going around it, kicking it, brandishing torches around it, grabbing on to it in a drunken stupor and perhaps even climbing it to avoid being mugged for that tiny bag of silver. In addition the plant has an insulating effect on the building by reducing air flow over its surface. That makes it ideal for keeping the coolness indoors in summer and the cold outside in winter. The ivy clings to the wall without disintegrating the stone and the root system does not interfere with the foundation. It climbs by means of curious fibers resembling roots, which shoot out from every part of the stem. Small disks at the ends of these aerial root-like fibers, adapt themselves to the surface upon which they are in contact. These fibers become true roots once they dig into a crevice or come in contact with soil, whence they can provide nourishment. It is apparently one of few vines that does not make the underlying wall damp. The large size of the plant along with it's numerous branches makes it ideal as a shelter and nesting area for birds and other small animals. The leaves and plant are not bothered by the usual city pollutants. Flowers appear in huge numbers and provide bees with a good source of nectar. The berries, which do not ripen until several months after flowering, provide winter food for many birds including thrushes, pigeons and blackbirds. The plant is aesthetically pleasing and harmonious with its surroundings - and by this I also mean with its reputation. The plant was well known in Greek times as an emblem of fidelity and wreaths were often given to newly married couples.
