Pest helping pests: Ivy teeming with rats Ivy alternative

Q: I have a beautiful, established yard which has large areas of ivy as a groundcover. Unfortunately, we have a rat problem. Is there a low-maintenance ground cover that is considered unfriendly to rodents?

A: It is probably English ivy that blankets parts of your garden, and harboring rodents isn't the only problem caused by this aggressive spreader. You should get rid of it because it will successfully attack more desirable plants and do its best to take over your garden.

English ivy is considered to be a noxious weed because it has spread beyond home gardens to become a major problem in parks and wild areas around the Northwest. Because ivy is shade tolerant and grows so vigorously, it creates a monoculture, smothering out the wide variety of plants needed to support desirable wildlife and birds.

As you've noticed, ivy provides a perfect shelter for rats, which are unfortunately as persistent and successful as it is. The good news is that I've talked with many gardeners who found that they had no problem at all with rats once they'd gotten rid of all their ivy.

Nearly anything you use to replace the ivy will be less encouraging to rodents. What you choose depends on how much sun or shade you have, the type of soil, if you plan to provide irrigation, and what plants you like. And there are alternatives besides simply groundcovers, such as pathways and low-growing shrubbery. Or, if it is a hot, sunny area, perhaps a gravel garden with Mediterranean plants. Masses of ferns for shade, or ornamental grasses in sun make fine groundcovers, as do sweeps of perennials.

If you want to replace the ivy with something that gives the same year-round, sea-of-green effect, there are several evergreen low-growers that might work, depending on the conditions. Consider Mahonia nervosa, Pachysandra terminalis, Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, which has the advantage of fragrant winter flowers, or kinnikinick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).

You might also consult the book "Perennial Ground Covers" by David MacKenzie (Timber Press, 1997), and remember that whichever plants you put in, they will need to be well-watered, at least until they are established, and weeded until they grow to cover the ground.

Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine. Call 206-464-8470 or e-mail planttalk@seattletimes.com with your questions. Sorry, no personal replies.