Ross: WSDOT workers have covered the I-5 graffiti but not with ivy … yet

It finally happened – in a huge graffiti-covering operation on I-5 through downtown Seattle – workers have painted over the Wall of Anarchy.

I understand that some graffiti qualifies as art, but this was a lot of low-quality splatter, so good riddance.

And now the question is, how long will it last?

My prediction – not very long. Because a blank wall in a public area is too tempting.

Which is why last April, I proposed this.

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I was concentrating on the graffiti. I should be looking for the spots that have no graffiti.

Maybe I’m looking at this all wrong.

And I noticed that along I-5 downtown, the areas with no graffiti have one thing in common. IVY!

Ivy has spilled over the top of the retaining wall!

Vandals want a clear canvas. The ivy ruins that.

So, what we need – is to cover everything with ivy.

Brilliant, right? And now here we are in July – and it’s the perfect time to do this!

I checked Home Depot – they have a product called Z-Ivy.

And the woman in this video says even up close you can’t tell it’s fake:

WOMAN: “You can look very up close and it’s so lifelike”

Which means as you fly by at sixty miles an hour it’ll look even more lifelike!

You should be watching the road anyway.

Unfortunately – it’s temporarily out of stock, but you can e-mail them and they’ll let you know when the next shipment comes in.

But there’s also a version on the QVC YouTube channel. Listen to this!

“This is made of Willow and its individual Willow sticks that are cut by hand and then the finest artificial greenery is attached to it,” the video says.

And if you’re wondering, can it stand up to the shockwave of a passing truck?

“Mine’s been up in these heavy windstorms and not one lead blew off of here!” the sales couple continues.

Beautiful, durable, graffiti-repelling, and I’m guessing a lot cheaper than sending out an overnight work crew again and again.

And if the Ivy does get tagged, take it down, turn it around, and put it back up.

The taggers would either have to trade in their spray cans for hedge trimmers – or give up and go back to Portland.

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