A friend and I built a fence around his garden by putting 6' cut sappling "logs" (only about 2-4' diameter) in the ground and sort of weaving long branches around them. It is working great for keeping the deer out but in only a year or two the sticks and branches will be breaking down and falling out. We were thinking of planting some sort of vine all alone the fence so it could sort of hold it together and strengthen it. Not to mention make it harder for smaller animals to get through. Anyone have any good ideas for a fast growing dense vine?
We thought of ivy but don't want it to overrun the garden, and we thought of morning glory but that dies every winter. Also, something cheap lol. or at least easily attainable.
Thanks for any suggestions!
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30545
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Greenbriar (smilax spp.) grows in the woods behind my property and threatens to climb the trees along the split rail fence line.
I have chicken wire fence on the split rail to keep out the animals but the groundHOG climbs the fence and also, neighborhood cats have been unwelcome trespassers in the past. So I pull the spikey Greenbriar vine down and weave them along the fence rail and among the Rose of Sharon hedge (MIL's idea, ages ago).
It's a natural barbed wire fence, but it's a native plant and does provide berries for wildlife and the young shoots are edible wild forage.
I also bend down and weave the rose of Sharon branches based on French "living fence" idea I saw since they grow taller than I really want.
I have chicken wire fence on the split rail to keep out the animals but the groundHOG climbs the fence and also, neighborhood cats have been unwelcome trespassers in the past. So I pull the spikey Greenbriar vine down and weave them along the fence rail and among the Rose of Sharon hedge (MIL's idea, ages ago).
It's a natural barbed wire fence, but it's a native plant and does provide berries for wildlife and the young shoots are edible wild forage.
I also bend down and weave the rose of Sharon branches based on French "living fence" idea I saw since they grow taller than I really want.
And [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=169031#169031]here[/url] it is. There's a link in it to another discussion; follow that link.
The second discussion contains yet another link; follow that one as well.
Taken altogether, the three discussions are very informative about Osage orange and other plants that have been traditionally used as living fences, both against deer and as property markings.
Cynthia
The second discussion contains yet another link; follow that one as well.
Taken altogether, the three discussions are very informative about Osage orange and other plants that have been traditionally used as living fences, both against deer and as property markings.
Cynthia