The old stone house, solid, substantial, and unadorned, suggested unlimited spaciousness and comfort within; and was redeemed from positive ugliness without, by the fine ivy, magnolia trees, and wisteria, of many years' growth, climbing its plain face, and now covering it with a mantle of soft green, large white blooms, and a cascade of purple blossom. - Florence L. Barclay in The Rosary
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Ivy covered stone….as appealing now as it was in the early 1900s when Barclay wrote. Sometimes the appeal carries over to the inside of the building if the windows become partially covered as well. Several years ago I toured a law library and the main thing I remember was the greenish color of the light coming through the large windows at both ends of the long narrow room. The space felt more like an outdoor bower than an enclosed, climate controlled room. The ivy was almost covering the windows…transmitting the light.
Ivy can damage walls after many years. Wisteria does not take as long to do damage and most of the time you see it on an arbor rather than a wall for that reason. The tendrils grow into any little nook and then expand. They tend to take their support apart. My mother once planted trumpet vine next to a fence because she liked the color of its flowers then separated it from the stockade fence with chicken wire for its support and trimmed it frequently to keep the fence intact when it became apparent how damaging the trumpet vine could be.
