On 22/03/2014 15:43, Nick wrote:
Hello.
I am reluctantly forced to erect a 10m long x 1.2m high wire fence and plant
along this 16 thorn hedging plants.
This for a neighbour who is seriously pressuring me. Rather than fight the
issue, I just want to get it done. We have been neighbours for 50 odd years
and I don't particularly want to fall out with her.
Fencing is no problem I can do that well myself but the plants are giving me
a problem. I am black fingered as opposed to green.
She says they must be 80-100 cm height pot grown, and specifies Pyracantha,
Mahonia, Berberis & Gorse.
Her main objective being to grow an impenetrable fence.
Plot is just W of London. W facing with fairly open aspect and 1m from a
stream. This stream was extremely lively a month ago. Hence the problem.
Any suggestions for plants and suppliers please.
Many thanks,
Nick.

If you are intending to put 16 plants in a 10 m run, you aren't going to
get an impenetrable fence. With one plant approximately every 60 cm,
there will be a lot of bare space low down. Or is the wire fence
intended to deal with that, and the thorny hedge everything above 1.2 m?

In general Mahonia isn't the fastest growing plant. Pyracantha is an
absolute thug - it will reach 3+ m in no time, but it will also spread
sideways, both along and across the wire fence. It will need maintenance
to keep it under control. Berberis is pretty good and can be fairly
fast; something like B. julianae should be suitable.

Rosa rugosa would also be a good choice as it could use the wire fence
for some support at the start.

At this time of year I would tend to go for containerised plants, rather
than bare root, unless you can ensure they are never short of water
whilst getting established (don't count on the stream doing this if the
level is low). Even with containerised plants you will need to an eye
on the water to make sure the plants don't dry out.

--

Jeff