"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 5/7/04 13:49, in article , "Neale"
wrote:

I have just hacked back my Viginia Creeper to allow us to paint a
previously
plain brick wall. The creeper in question (quinquefolia?)had never clung
to
the wall at all, it relied completely on wires to support it. Is this
normal, or is it just that modern bricks (which is why I'm painting!)
are
just too hard to get a hold of?

Someone said I might need to try a different species. I've not had any
luck
getting ivy to grip either.



Only a guess - perhaps being new bricks there is a lot of lime in the
mortar
and they don't like it?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

Could be that its not a Parthenocissus but may be an Ampelopsis, related and
similar looking, but lacking the adhesive pads of the true Virginia creeper
(parthenocissus quinqifolia)
I have always found P. quinquefolia better up trees and hedges as it does
not stick well to walls (growth is too heavy) for walls P. tricuspidata
forms do better (Boston ivy)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)