I have some Boston ivy completely covering 2 walls of my house. It's wonderful! In the summer it completely blocks the sun from the walls, keeping my house much

I have some Boston ivy completely covering 2 walls of my house. It's wonderful! In the summer it completely blocks the sun from the walls, keeping my house much cooler. And in the winter it falls off letting the sun in to help with heating. The side of the house that isn't covered (yet) is noticeably warmer. The only maintenance is opening windows and pushing away any vines that want to cover the windows, and once a year making sure no vines got in the gutters. (A tip: Don't cut the vines by the window, but rather pull them off and let them hang loose - this signals to the plant that it's at an "edge" and it won't try to grow more in that direction.)