Living fencing

Hi all

The plot I'm soon to be taking on is open to the public. My plot is quite near the entrance so I'm looking to create some defined barriers to keep the public out.

Ideally I dont want to spend a lot I love willow but just can't seem to find any cheap to make some supports for plants to grow up.

Initially I'm not to worried about rabbits I know a lot of the plot holders on site have fenced their whole plots of with mesh which is a sure sign the're a problem.

I am thinking of using red currents down one side simply becaus I have about 20 small plants of them. Prehaps some rasberries on one of the smaller sides.

What do you use if anything as a screen?

One side of mine already had a waist high lavender hedge, on the other I've planted raspberries.
Also have tayberries and boysenberries on wires.
The other end grows tall peas or beans every year - sorted!

Blackthorn (sloe) makes great hedging and can be picked up fairly cheap

Sally its a National Trust site so it's part of the attraction it's quite rural so there won't be many naughty kids.

hmm I think there are quite a few rules on the site I've not seen my agreement but others have said you have to ask permission for perennials so I don't think a sloe hedge would go down well as it would be a real pain to dig up.

I love lavender so that's a good plan. Also sweet peas will be useful in my first summer when I don't want to spend too much.

I have about 20 cuttings in pots of wild rasberries from a friends they only get to about 2ft in height but were delicious. They might grow taller in better soil but I'll have to wait and see. Prehaps just some posts with some rope behind the rasberries will be enough to keep people out. I'm not a fan of tying rasberries back as the birds can see all the fruit that way.

Willow is a tree and will given a lack of control become a tree, I have seen a good number of hazel hedges turn into hazel trees over the years.

Raspberry's will spread, they will be a nice upright(ish) stick for a year then the runners run.

Blackthorn is another tree, and a spiky one.

One option, which I have seen used, is apples, trained as a step over, catch being you train them as such so not immediate.

Think you could use redcurrents as well, sure I have seen these trained at West Dean as well as the apples.

I have a couple of half standard goosberrys, if you bought a few then simply plant them in a row as a barrier. Just not cheap to get several.

Tayberry's trained along wires as said would cetainly deter anyone.

Willow is a tree and will given a lack of control become a tree, I have seen a good number of hazel hedges turn into hazel trees over the years.

Blackthorn is another tree, and a spiky one.

Can really second this!

We have moved into a new place where the hazel, willow and hawthorn hedging round the place has been neglected for years and it is an enormous battle getting it back to being hedges not trees!