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Blackberry Fence
Gardenviking
Posts: 144
in Talkback
My garden is long, long and narrow. On one side I am growing a hopp that I control every year but is part of my fence on that side. This year the Hopp should get company from a live willow fence. That will need some years to mature and form its growth as I envision it.
On the other side I have an open connection to my somewhat obscure neighbours who have a tendency to 'what is yours, is mine'. My partner came with the idea to plant a blackberry there and guide its growth in a live-fence. Is that possible?
Internet research only came with pest control ideas, and that is how I see blackberry as well up until now. Still, the idea is tantalizing...
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With blackberries, the stems which have fruited in the current year need cutting right back to the ground in early winter and you tie the new unfruited stems which grew to the framework and those will provide next year's fruit. Given that, it's probably not suited to what you want as there is no permanent part of a blackberry bush which would become a hedge as such.
Why not have a mixed hedge, say 50 percent hawthorn with the rest made up with blackthorn, wild roses, hornbeam, hazel and whatever you like including blackberries. Nice and prickly.
Redwing that sounds brilliant. The biggest problems I face is that the neighbours demand that anything permanent is planted 45cm from their fence (they measure) and so far they have cut down and destroyed everything I planted. Including feeding my plants salt water... somehow I have to get hold of plants that are sizable enough to stop them from accessing the space in the first place...
Sounds like really unfriendly neighbours. I really feel for you.
You can still buy bare rooted hedging plants but not for much longer as the end of March is too late for planting bare rooted shrubs/hedging. There are some good bargains around now. If you get them planted now they will put on good growth this spring and summer. Good luck.
I can give some links to suppliers in the UK but I think you live in Germany.....there must be some suppliers of bare rooted hedging there.
Dear Redwing, up until now I have not found such suppliers yet. Germans think it is fancy when you plant a hydrangea in the garrden and not throw it away in September.
Anyway, the good news is that I can plant bare root here until the end of April because of the long winter season. I will hunt some English websites. Thank you.
That's disgraceful GViking. You might be better putting up your own fence just inside theirs. That way, you can grow whatever you want against it and along it, and if they try to damage it, they're breaking the law, which has consequences.
Good luck with it - neighbours can be very unpleasant
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here are links to a couple of hedging nurseries that I have used:
http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Hedging__Trees__Shrubs___Conifers_1.html
http://3fatpigs.co.uk/?gclid=CNzA2-jDvcsCFbYV0wodVEMBcg
Both sent good health plants of decent sizes. As to how many, I plant 3-4 plants per metre. Check out the hedging mixes. It may work out cheaper for delivery charges for you if you contact some of the Dutch growers.
Fairygirl, it might be disgraceful but you cannot control everything in life. Property laws in Germany are a bit complicated, combined with the premises layout that has a history of 600 years and all of sudden the inner fence creates a large variety of problems. Hence the 'Live-Fence' idea.
And Redwing, thank you, I will check them out and update you guys. The blackthorn and the wild roses sound like a tempting combination. I will see how good my Dutch is...
Do you mean you wouldn't be allowed to erect another 'internal' fence GViking? What a right royal pain. Must make it very difficult for you
Hopefully Redwing's suggestion will be possible. There must surely be suppliers who will be able to get you hedging relatively easily. Some good jaggy stuff to make them think twice - I can vouch for blackthorn!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
What about a climbing rose fence, you can guide that I would think.