Often overlooked or dismissed as too common, ivy comes into its own in winter, with beautiful leaf shapes and bright colors. Grow it over an arch for a spectacular foliage effect.

When to start: Autumn.

At their best: All year, especially winter.

Time to complete: 1 day to make arch; 1 day to plant.

You will need: Garden arch (kits are available), well-rotted organic matter – such as manure, garden twine, clippers.

Ivy plants, good choices include: Hedera helix ‘Cavendishii’, ‘Glacier’, ‘Oro di Bogliasco’, and Hedera colchica.

Erect an arch

When bold foliage is at a premium, ivy has plenty to offer, with plain or variegated, and large or small leaves. Select a tall cultivar of Hedera helix or the large-leaved Hedera colchica for an arch. Either buy a preassembled arch, or make one from a kit and erect it close to a screen, over a bench seat, or to frame a view.

Plant the ivy

Select an ivy with long stems, and check the label to make sure that it will grow large enough to cover the arch. Enrich the soil around the arch with organic matter, and plant an ivy about 12 in (30 cm) away from each side. You can also plant a few 12 in (30 cm) from the fence or wall. Plant the ivies at the same depth they were in their original pots.

Aftercare

Use garden twine to tie the stems to the arch; they can be removed once the stems have taken hold. Water the plants frequently and trim any wayward stems in spring and summer.