[cbu183]

Morning all
Just put my orders in while I'm waiting for the frost to melt so I can start digging
My new allotment is right by the gate, next to a housing estate, half a plot with no boundary marker, and in not the most salubrious area.  I want a boundary by the gate and down the side with my neighbour and it may as well be an edible one!  I just ordered a load of marigolds (for ground cover - plot's been abandoned for quite a while and digging up weed roots is taking me weeks).  I also ordered Black Lace Elderflower for a bit of vino but what else would you recommend?  I want an edible force field to keep people off, basically

[Offwego]

Gooseberry? Raspberry? Plenty of thorns ect

[mumofstig]

Put up posts and wires (or a pallet fence ) and cover with Himalayan Giant Blackberries, or other very prickly berry. Some Tayberries are lethal 
Sorted 

[snowdrops]

I understand what you are trying to do but it if it is edible to humans it might encourage unwelcome attention from those you are trying to keep out. How about edible for birds or the less recognisable edible varieties, or things that need cooking or preserving before they are edible, I.e sloes, interwoven with crab apples etc

[cbu183]

Great ideas - you know your onions you lot.  The raspberry canes randomly all over the plot getting in the way could be moved, the sloe is definitely on my next shopping list and there actually is a blackberry - I can train it round from the boundary fence as its last chance of survival.  Thanks all!

[Norfolkgrey]

If you are happy with a lot of hacking and digging suckers there is loads of choice  . Also make sure it won't shade your patch. Elderberry, rowan, sloe, dog rose, wild rose, cornelian cherry, hawthorn, wild pear, sea buckthorn, japonica, berberis, cherry plum, wild cherry or you could go hybrid berry route loganberry, wineberry, tayberry etc. 

[cbu183]

Thanks Norfolkgrey - just googled sea buckthorn and the medicinal benefits are amazing - it fixes nitrogen as well! And they are cheap - going to get myself a few of those. 

[sunshineband]

I know this has already been suggested but I wanted to share our success story re boundaries.

We have a post and wire construction almost the whole length of our plot and it is covered with blackberries, tayberries and loganberries. Ours is five feet tall and most of our fruits are thorniest, but it does still do the job.

Remember though that it will fruit on both sides. We are lucky in that our plot neighbour does not mind me foraging from our bushes/canes but it is juts something to think about.

Each Autumn I cut out all the fruited canes and tie in the new growth ready for the following year. This stops it getting totally tangled and fruit gets plenty of light and air and ripens well.

Our boundary runs more or less North-South so there is not too much problem with shade for either us or our neighbour.

Good luck with yours, whatever you choose

[surbie100]

Nothing new to add on the plants - but the pity benches in the big gardening sheds are worth keeping an eye on. i've picked up a lot of sad-looking plants for very little money, when all they needed was a water.

Would you be able to swap cuttings with anyone?

[Norfolkgrey]

Sorry, just remembered another one for you. Japanese Bitter Orange 

[Norfolkgrey]

Also forgot hazelnuts and cobnuts.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Thanks Norfolkgrey - just googled sea buckthorn and the medicinal benefits are amazing - it fixes nitrogen as well! And they are cheap - going to get myself a few of those. 

I'd be wary of sea buckthorn, it may be cheap for a reason!  Around here the council organises volunteers to clear it from the nature reserves on the sand dunes; it's invasive, thorny, and non-native. I've also seen it planted as a garden hedge, and its suckers are forever lifting and coming up through the adjacent pavement and even the road surface  in places.