Potted Ivy: 5 Pairing Ideas

In a spring container

The evergreen nature of ivy is a boon for spring containers. It surrounds early or late bulbs at the beginning of the year with a very bucolic charm and adds a bit of relief thanks to its stems sprawling along the troughs.

The Hedera helix ‘Goldchild’, remaining small in size, with beautifully variegated light yellow leaves, is a good choice for vibrant flowering in yellow-orange tones. Paired with the flamboyance of ‘Princess Irene Parrot’ parrot tulips, it finds its place alongside a lovely heuchera in the same colours, such as Heuchera ‘Caribbean Sea’, with a beautiful coppery orange, and ‘White Touch’ tulips in white, enhanced with yellow for a slightly later flowering in May. If you have a bit of space left, a Skimmia japonica ‘Magic Merlot’ or the miniature ‘Godries Dwarf’ will extend the flowering with its creamy inflorescences.

Hedera helix ‘Goldchild’, Heuchera ‘Caribbean Sea’, ‘Princess Irene Parrot’ tulip, ‘White Touch’ tulip, Skimmia japonica ‘Magic Merlot’

Star of a contemporary urban terrace

Ivy is one of the plants that best withstand urban pollution. Combining it with other plants in a planter is therefore a boon for apartment terraces exposed to it.

In a contemporary setting, ivy fits in perfectly: it is a chameleon plant that adapts equally well to romanticism and minimalism when choosing a decorative variety like Hedera helix ‘Sagittifolia’. This is a very aesthetic ornamental ivy, with finely cut and lobed leaves, one of the most graphic varieties for a stylish terrace. You should reserve a taller container for this ivy, ideally made of earth fibre or concrete fibre for this contemporary environment, measuring 80 cm to 1 m high. The ivy will gracefully cascade down.

Pair it with graphic plants for an ideally semi-shaded exposure: a Muehlenbeckia axillaris with its tiny round leaves will also gently trail down the container, while one or two dwarf hostas chosen in contrasting colours will dress the top of the container from May to autumn.

Hedera helix ‘Sagittifolia’, Muehlenbeckia axillaris and dwarf hosta ‘Siberian Tiger’

Another equally interesting arrangement will favour the upright habit of a very original graphic ivy, Hedera helix ‘Erecta’: this surprising ivy is not climbing, but shrubby, offering an architectural visual with its stems about 1 m high standing proudly. The dark green leaves are arranged very structurally around the rigid stems. Accompanied by ball-shaped plants like boxwood or Pittosporums in a fairly sunny position (‘Tom Thumb’ for a touch of purple, ‘Silver Ball’ for green-grey foliage), Acanthus, and a few Japanese anemones, the whole will be very understated and in harmony with the contemporary spirit.

Hedera helix ‘Erecta’, Acanthus, Japanese Anemones and boxwood balls

On a balcony in winter

In small outdoor spaces like balconies, ivy can easily be invited into small containers that you can place on a table. It will bring its evergreen foliage and a lovely splash of greenery.

For this use, you should choose a very compact ivy like the charming Hedera helix ‘Kolibri’ : this dwarf variegated ivy grows to about 60 cm in height and will gracefully trail over the pot. It can take various forms, such as a lovely basket, a zinc container, or a more classic planter…

As with other displays, be sure to pair it with a perennial or mini-bush that is slightly taller to harmoniously distribute the volumes in the pot. Three or four plants are more than enough around your dwarf ivy: the long flowering of an Oriental Hellebore like the Hellebore Anemone ‘Blanc Guttatus’ for its sublime cream shades speckled with purple, or a peach-coloured Hellebore, a white or pink heather like Erica darleyensis, and a Cyclamen coum in white. A Skimmia also works wonders in this type of winter display, where it already brings its flower buds.

Oriental Hellebore, peach with red centre, heather, Hedera helix ‘Kolibri’ and Cyclamen coum

Indoor hanging

Ivy is a beautiful indoor plant, and it’s time to forget the outdated use it has long been subjected to, perched high on a piece of furniture in a lonely pot. To achieve a more contemporary look, place your ivy on a lovely wooden ladder, made of bamboo or metal. Each will enhance the other beautifully. At its base, two generous pots of plants with similar light requirements can accompany it modestly, such as a striking Sansevieria and a vibrant Clivia in full bloom at the end of winter. The combination works just as well with the light foliage of a Pilea enjoying a bit more sun or the colourful leaves of a Calathea, or even a lovely house fern. For this indoor use, the cultivar ‘Goldchild’ is particularly suitable.

→ Discover Ingrid’s advice sheet: indoor plants that also thrive outdoors, to adapt your pots with the changing seasons!

Trailing ivy on a beautiful ladder, Clivia miniata in bloom and Sansevieria

In green and white duo for summer

Ivy is not to be overlooked when it comes to greening a container for the summer season. It feels just as comfortable there as in other seasons, and is downright chic when combined with green or variegated foliage and white flowers. To create a beautiful container with some perennials or opulent bushes, do choose a pot of sufficiently large size. A dwarf ivy ‘Kolibri’ can thrive in a shady container, but also in the sun as long as it is not scorching:

For a romantic atmosphere in shade or partial shade, favour the beautiful foliage of Fatsia japonica, Carex oshimensis ‘Everglow’, or a fern Cyrtomium fortunei var Clivicola. The cream variegated ivy will gracefully cascade from the container to highlight the luminous flowers of Thalictrum aquilegifolium ‘Album’, Astrantias, or white Platycodons. Alongside them, in a separate pot, as they require more moisture, a beautiful mass of Arums will be perfect to complete this refreshing summer scene!

Hedera helix ‘Kolibri’, Fatsia japonica, Platycodon, Pigamon, and Astrantia major ‘Shaggy’

For a setting that enjoys more sun, plant the stunning Clematis ‘Manju’ with its large greenish-white flowers, and at its base, the small ivy ‘Kolibri’ which will dutifully shelter its roots from the sun. A Phlox divaricata and a pyramidal campanula ‘Alba’ will be good light and floriferous companions, while a compact shrubby veronica, blooming in brilliant white, Hebe sutherlandii, will bring the essential evergreen foliage.

Clematis ‘Manju’, campanula, white Hebe, and dwarf ivy ‘Kolibri’