Hi all,
After the umpteenth burglary at "casa bleu", I need to resort to some stiff security steps.

I want to stop "yoofs" climbing onto my garage flat roof, and sneaking into the back yard, where they proceed to help themselves to my hard earned money/boot my doggy/steal my cars. I am not really keen on razor wire and don't want to reapply for my firearms license at this moment.

I want to plant some thorny barriers. And was thinking of a double row of Hawthorn hedging around the rear of the garage for people to castrate themselved by jumping into, and some kind of a pot-borne climbing rose trailing over the front of the garage, and along the longer side.

Would Hawthorn (C. Monogyna?) damage walls or foundations if grown slap up againt the rear wall of the garage? How about common Gorse? My garden soil is moist, clay like (Liverpool Weather) and partially shaded.

Also could you suggest a very thorny, fast growing evergreen climber I could grow over the front door/roofline of the garage and along one of the longer sides? The longer side needs to be covered by a climber that is happy to grow from a pot, if possble, otherwise I will need to take off a pavement slab and plant it in the ground right up against the wall of the house.

I would like a solution that is kind and welcoming to the birdies and beasties that visit my garden at this moment, something that offers them food and protection would be especially nice.

Is there a thorny barrier that is evergreen/non deciduous that I can stick along the fence as well? Hopefully with a bird and building friendly characteristic?

Hi, I can't help with the evergreen bit, but have you considered rosa rugosa as a barrier? Not only is it the spikiest, most viciously jaggy plant I have ever had the misfortune of trying to prune, but it's really fast growing, produces georgeous flowers and is very wildlife-friendly, as the bees love it and the birds eat from the hips all winter.

I have a hawthorn tree at the front of the house and the roots are pretty thick and sturdy, if not that profuse. I'm not sure about hedges. Good luck!

Bob

Thnx Bob,
I could really do with something that needs minimum upkeep, like cleaning up after fallen leaves and whatnot. I am willing to make an exception in the case of Hawthorn/blackthorn/Gorse in the rear garden, though.

Would apreciate pointers to a non or low-deciduous thorny climber that I could train over the front of the garage and walls.

"Serene Blue" wrote in message
...

Hi all,
After the umpteenth burglary at "casa bleu", I need to resort to some
stiff security steps.

I want to stop "yoofs" climbing onto my garage flat roof, and sneaking
into the back yard, where they proceed to help themselves to my hard
earned money/boot my doggy/steal my cars. I am not really keen on razor
wire and don't want to reapply for my firearms license at this moment.

I want to plant some thorny barriers. And was thinking of a double row
of Hawthorn hedging around the rear of the garage for people to
castrate themselved by jumping into, and some kind of a pot-borne
climbing rose trailing over the front of the garage, and along the
longer side.

Would Hawthorn (C. Monogyna?) damage walls or foundations if grown slap
up againt the rear wall of the garage? How about common Gorse? My garden
soil is moist, clay like (Liverpool Weather) and partially shaded.

Also could you suggest a very thorny, fast growing evergreen climber I
could grow over the front door/roofline of the garage and along one of
the longer sides? The longer side needs to be covered by a climber that
is happy to grow from a pot, if possble, otherwise I will need to take
off a pavement slab and plant it in the ground right up against the
wall of the house.

I would like a solution that is kind and welcoming to the birdies and
beasties that visit my garden at this moment, something that offers
them food and protection would be especially nice.

Is there a thorny barrier that is evergreen/non deciduous that I can
stick along the fence as well? Hopefully with a bird and building
friendly characteristic?




--
Serene Blue

The Police actuall recommend a bush called (sp) Pyrocantha. Someone will
correct me on the spelling. Bush with nasty thorns on it.

Another thing you can do is erect wire netting which is not tight and
secure. ie when they try to climb it tit collapses, but not to ground level
whereby they walk over it.

Another is a remote dummy if you like, camera. Out of reach but very
visible.

If electricity is readily available, a strong PIR 500 watt floodlight which
they trigger and depending on the area/neighbourhood, a bell or alarm fitted
to the same circuit.

Just a few things I do know have been done in various places :-))

Mike


--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

I was going to suggest Pyracantha - aka Firethorn - but someone else did.
The plant does very well against walls, is quick growing and will be covered
with white blossom in the spring and orange or red berries at this time of
year.

Pyracantha atalantioides is a vigorous upright/arching evergreen shrub which
will grow higher than your garage roof. It will be covered with red berries
at this time of year. P. coccinea evergreen and bushy will grow to 12 feet
(height and spread) it has bright red berries. P. Orange glow upright dense
evergreen to H 15ft, S 10ft orange berries.

I suggest a combination of red and orange berried plants. They have good
spread and could be planted fairly close together to give an impenetrable
barrier.

Geoff

P.S.

Pyracantha is easy to propogate from short shoots ripped off a pruned stem
to give a heel. Remove a few lower leaves with a sharp knife, wet the heel,
dip in hormone rooting powder and dib into a small trough containing a
mixture of peat based compost (50% by volume), grit (25%) and vermiculite
(25% ). Put in a dozen or so, label them, keep well watered and stand
back!! I use that mixture for all shrub cuttings - it's ideal for fuchias.

Geoff

No-one has mentioned gooseberries which have vicious thorns.

Actually, for maximum deterrence the plants not only need thorns
but should be clearly seen to have them.

My favourites are Rubus Cockburnianus (ghost bramble)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/4179.html/
and Rosa Omiensis Pteracantha (r.sericea pteracantha)
http://www.rosesloubert.com/collecti...20omeiensis%20
pteracantha.jpg
which has very scary looking blood red thorns.

John McMillan wrote:
No-one has mentioned gooseberries which have vicious thorns.
Actually, for maximum deterrence the plants not only need thorns
but should be clearly seen to have them.

Vicious! I hate more the taste than what nature has given them. But
it's not going to help the Serene. It's the access to a roof if I
remember it right. Gooseberries are quite low, aren't they?

John McMillan writes

No-one has mentioned gooseberries which have vicious thorns.

Actually, for maximum deterrence the plants not only need thorns
but should be clearly seen to have them.

My favourites are Rubus Cockburnianus (ghost bramble)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/4179.html/
and Rosa Omiensis Pteracantha (r.sericea pteracantha)
http://www.rosesloubert.com/collecti...20omeiensis%20
pteracantha.jpg
which has very scary looking blood red thorns.

They're scary looking but they're kittens compared with gooseberry,
pyracantha and even hawthorn
--
Kay

The shrub recommended by the police is pyracantha, or firethorn, but its usually deciduous. You might also consider an evergreen berberis, which also has great flowers and an attractive leaf.

A really good alternative is a rmabling rose which is fast growing and super spiney and it can be trained to cover a wall.

You can use a plant database to search for plants with spines, a good one is htp://www.plant-encyclopedia.net.


Hi all,
After the umpteenth burglary at "casa bleu", I need to resort to some
stiff security steps.

I want to stop "yoofs" climbing onto my garage flat roof, and sneaking
into the back yard, where they proceed to help themselves to my hard
earned money/boot my doggy/steal my cars. I am not really keen on razor
wire and don't want to reapply for my firearms license at this moment.

I want to plant some thorny barriers. And was thinking of a double row
of Hawthorn hedging around the rear of the garage for people to
castrate themselved by jumping into, and some kind of a pot-borne
climbing rose trailing over the front of the garage, and along the
longer side.

Would Hawthorn (C. Monogyna?) damage walls or foundations if grown slap
up againt the rear wall of the garage? How about common Gorse? My garden
soil is moist, clay like (Liverpool Weather) and partially shaded.

Also could you suggest a very thorny, fast growing evergreen climber I
could grow over the front door/roofline of the garage and along one of
the longer sides? The longer side needs to be covered by a climber that
is happy to grow from a pot, if possble, otherwise I will need to take
off a pavement slab and plant it in the ground right up against the
wall of the house.

I would like a solution that is kind and welcoming to the birdies and
beasties that visit my garden at this moment, something that offers
them food and protection would be especially nice.

Is there a thorny barrier that is evergreen/non deciduous that I can
stick along the fence as well? Hopefully with a bird and building
friendly characteristic?




--
Serene Blue[/i][/color]

The Police actuall recommend a bush called (sp) Pyrocantha. Someone will
correct me on the spelling. Bush with nasty thorns on it.

Another thing you can do is erect wire netting which is not tight and
secure. ie when they try to climb it tit collapses, but not to ground level
whereby they walk over it.

Another is a remote dummy if you like, camera. Out of reach but very
visible.

If electricity is readily available, a strong PIR 500 watt floodlight which
they trigger and depending on the area/neighbourhood, a bell or alarm fitted
to the same circuit.

Just a few things I do know have been done in various places :-))

Mike


--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com[/quote]

In reply to Serene Blue ) who wrote
this in , I, Marvo, say :

Hi all,
After the umpteenth burglary at "casa bleu", I need to resort to some
stiff security steps.

I want to stop "yoofs" climbing onto my garage flat roof, and sneaking
into the back yard, where they proceed to help themselves to my hard
earned money/boot my doggy/steal my cars. I am not really keen on
razor wire and don't want to reapply for my firearms license at this
moment.

I want to plant some thorny barriers. And was thinking of a double row
of Hawthorn hedging around the rear of the garage for people to
castrate themselved by jumping into, and some kind of a pot-borne
climbing rose trailing over the front of the garage, and along the
longer side.

Would Hawthorn (C. Monogyna?) damage walls or foundations if grown
slap up againt the rear wall of the garage? How about common Gorse?
My garden soil is moist, clay like (Liverpool Weather) and partially
shaded.

Also could you suggest a very thorny, fast growing evergreen climber I
could grow over the front door/roofline of the garage and along one of
the longer sides? The longer side needs to be covered by a climber
that is happy to grow from a pot, if possble, otherwise I will need
to take off a pavement slab and plant it in the ground right up
against the wall of the house.

I would like a solution that is kind and welcoming to the birdies and
beasties that visit my garden at this moment, something that offers
them food and protection would be especially nice.

Is there a thorny barrier that is evergreen/non deciduous that I can
stick along the fence as well? Hopefully with a bird and building
friendly characteristic?

Burglaris Disembowlis

Really, I've seenit in action. I think the name might be made up, but the
plant is real. Perhaps it /is/ a pyrocanthus. You can google it.

In message , Uncle Marvo
writes
Burglaris Disembowlis

Really, I've seenit in action. I think the name might be made up, but
the plant is real. Perhaps it /is/ a pyrocanthus. You can google it.

Only if you spell it pyracantha ;-)

But yes, it ticks all those boxes: pretty lethal, evergreen, white froth
of blossom in early summer, birds love the berries ...

--
Klara, Gatwick basin

In reply to Klara ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

In message , Uncle Marvo
writes
Burglaris Disembowlis

Really, I've seenit in action. I think the name might be made up, but
the plant is real. Perhaps it /is/ a pyrocanthus. You can google it.

Only if you spell it pyracantha ;-)

But yes, it ticks all those boxes: pretty lethal, evergreen, white
froth of blossom in early summer, birds love the berries ...

I can vouch for the effectiveness of one of those pyrothingies, I scratched
myself on one trying to remove it (for a friend) and ended up on antibiotics
for 14 days. Nasty.

On 15/9/06 10:05, in article , "Uncle Marvo"
wrote:

In reply to Klara ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

In message , Uncle Marvo
writes
Burglaris Disembowlis

Really, I've seenit in action. I think the name might be made up, but
the plant is real. Perhaps it /is/ a pyrocanthus. You can google it.

Only if you spell it pyracantha ;-)

But yes, it ticks all those boxes: pretty lethal, evergreen, white
froth of blossom in early summer, birds love the berries ...

I can vouch for the effectiveness of one of those pyrothingies, I scratched
myself on one trying to remove it (for a friend) and ended up on antibiotics
for 14 days. Nasty.

Holly doesn't like to be argued with, some berberis have spectacular thorns
as do some roses like Rosa rugosa, and depending on location, Grevillea
rosmarinifolia is not good to fight with. Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) has
the benefit of thorns and sloes.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Serene Blue writes


Also could you suggest a very thorny, fast growing evergreen climber I
could grow over the front door/roofline of the garage and along one of
the longer sides? The longer side needs to be covered by a climber that
is happy to grow from a pot, if possble, otherwise I will need to take
off a pavement slab and plant it in the ground right up against the
wall of the house.

Not a climber, but pyracantha can be trained up a wall, is viciously
thorny, grows rapidly, and has berries which aren't the birds first
choice, but will be taken once they've finished the rowans.


--
Kay