Indeed. It's why thorny plants are better, but it's easier if they can be planted on the outside, or as I said - if there are gaps in the fence, you can allow, or train, stems through it. I have pyracantha planted on the inside of part of my long boundary, and the bulk of it is on the outside.
I was advised by the council that I couldn’t grow anything that it could be claimed could hurt anyone. I have commented again somewhere here that I have a row of rugosa alba roses in the inside so that’s my thorny barrier if it was ever needed….
Clematis Montana will grow over the fence; but at the same time it is capable of bringing down the fence too. At my son's house, his neighbour has a rampant clematis that has brought down almost 20 feet of fence down. He is now putting a new fence with concrete fenceposts instead of the wooden ones.
Thank you. I do have concrete posts but I do appreciate clematis can be heavy!
I assume the fence is there as the boundary marker for your property and to provide privacy in the garden? Is it worth considering treating the fence as a temporary structure and planting a hedge on your side? After a few years when the hedge is tall and thick enough you can do away with the wooden fence panels all together. I would put in a metal chain link fence between the new hedge and the fence. The hedge will grow through and hide it but it will provide a barrier to any ne'er do well trying to push through a juvenile hedge.
This is a long term solution rather than a quick fix and will take a few years to achieve -but it could be a permanent one. It sounds as though the issues with the fence could be a permanent one too - probably depends on whether you think you'll be staying in this property long term.
Edited to add: Ooh a load of additional posts have appeared since I started thinking / typing....
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Indeed. It's why thorny plants are better, but it's easier if they can be planted on the outside, or as I said - if there are gaps in the fence, you can allow, or train, stems through it. I have pyracantha planted on the inside of part of my long boundary, and the bulk of it is on the outside.
I was advised by the council that I couldn’t grow anything that it could be claimed could hurt anyone. I have commented again somewhere here that I have a row of rugosa alba roses in the inside so that’s my thorny barrier if it was ever needed….
I'm astonished that a council is saying that, but that's the sort of rubbish we're all up against nowadays. I'd just let your rugosa grow through the gaps and play dumb if anyone dares to say anything. I'm also inclined to agree with @pansyface, but it's ridiculous that anyone has to resort to this, especially if the fence is in reasonably good condition. A good timber fence should last decades. I'm often surprised when people on the forum say they've had to replace them within five or ten years. There must be a lot of very poor quality timber being sold in the UK.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Check the wording on your buildings insurance policy - your fencing may be covered for vandalism as well as the normal storm damage. If not, consider changing your policy when it is next up for renewal. As long as the fence and planting looks good on your side, I wouldn't worry about the other side. Something like a climber growing over the fence, spikes or security paint will only attract the wrong kind of attention.
It might be expensive, but would it be worth using an anti-graffiti paint or coating on the outside? I haven't used them but apparently they work by stopping paint, ink etc from sticking properly so that it can be washed off, for example https://www.rawlinspaints.com/anti-graffiti-paints?q=Suitable+For+Use+On-Wood . There'll be other and maybe cheaper options, this is just the first thing that Google came up with..
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
It might be expensive, but would it be worth using an anti-graffiti paint or coating on the outside? I haven't used them but apparently they work by stopping paint, ink etc from sticking properly so that it can be washed off, for example https://www.rawlinspaints.com/anti-graffiti-paints?q=Suitable+For+Use+On-Wood . There'll be other and maybe cheaper options, this is just the first thing that Google came up with..
I don't think you can use that paint below 2 metres, and you need to post warning signs if you use it.
I didn't mean the anti-vandal paint, the non-drying stuff that gets on people who might try to climb the fence, I meant the anti-graffiti stuff (as in the link, others probably available) that stops paint etc from sticking and marking permanently. It wouldn't stop people trying to graffiti the fence, but it should make it easier to clean off.
In any case it's only a suggestion for @tsp to consider.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@tsp, If you have an inside hedge of rugosa roses, might it be possible to encourage a few shoots to grow through your slatted fence? it's quite prickly so might deter any little blighters from getting too near.
I think your existing hedge might make it difficult to establish any new climbers.
Finally, I think you may be worrying unnecessarily. Unless you already have had instances of damage or graffiti (which you won't see anyway from inside the garden), you could be trying to anticipate a problem which might not happen.
We have used Prikka strip on fences where we though there was a possibility of unwanted intruders. It's legal to use, and makes trying to climb over a fence very uncomfortable. It's also cheap and easy to install.
The main issue with growing plants that train over fences is not drying out; it is that they create a damp environment in Winter, and that can increase the speed with which the fence rots. The weight of the climber can then increase the possibility of the fence collapsing, but that usually takes a long time to happen in our experience (think a decade or more).
Jasmine officiniale is hardy, evergreen and grows very quickly. That might be a nice solution. Pyracantha is great for security, but it is not a plant that would trail over the top of the fence, it's mature stems are too rigid for that.
Unfortunately I'm not sure that Prikka or other such devices can be used where the fence adjoins a public thoroughfare. Certainly worth checking out rather than actually being sued by some scumbag who injures him/herself trying to climb the fence.
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Is it worth considering treating the fence as a temporary structure and planting a hedge on your side? After a few years when the hedge is tall and thick enough you can do away with the wooden fence panels all together. I would put in a metal chain link fence between the new hedge and the fence. The hedge will grow through and hide it but it will provide a barrier to any ne'er do well trying to push through a juvenile hedge.
This is a long term solution rather than a quick fix and will take a few years to achieve -but it could be a permanent one. It sounds as though the issues with the fence could be a permanent one too - probably depends on whether you think you'll be staying in this property long term.
Edited to add: Ooh a load of additional posts have appeared since I started thinking / typing....
I'd just let your rugosa grow through the gaps and play dumb if anyone dares to say anything.
I'm also inclined to agree with @pansyface, but it's ridiculous that anyone has to resort to this, especially if the fence is in reasonably good condition. A good timber fence should last decades.
I'm often surprised when people on the forum say they've had to replace them within five or ten years. There must be a lot of very poor quality timber being sold in the UK.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think your existing hedge might make it difficult to establish any new climbers.
Finally, I think you may be worrying unnecessarily. Unless you already have had instances of damage or graffiti (which you won't see anyway from inside the garden), you could be trying to anticipate a problem which might not happen.
Unfortunately I'm not sure that Prikka or other such devices can be used where the fence adjoins a public thoroughfare. Certainly worth checking out rather than actually being sued by some scumbag who injures him/herself trying to climb the fence.