Our house is on a corner. At the side of the garden is a privit hedge,
and at the end is a stone wall. The corner where the two meet is very
vulnerable to burglars, and there've recently been 3 in the street.

So... we need either barbed wire (joking) or a nice thorny bush to
make that access route less attractive.
We have a thorny bush elsewhere in the garden. The leaves are red on
one side. It'd look nice against the green privit. What is it?
What alternative bushes would do the trick?
Is it a good time to plant?

Thanks

Tony

On 12 Sep, 16:11, Jennifer Sparkes wrote:
The message
from tonyjeffs contains these words:

Our house is on a corner. At the side of the garden is a privit hedge,
and at the end is a stone wall. *The corner where the two meet is very
vulnerable to burglars, and there've recently been 3 in the street.
So... we need either barbed wire (joking) or a nice thorny bush to
make that access route less attractive.

How about Poncirus trifoliata? The scent of the flowers is lovely
and it can become quite vicious ...

Jennifer

Aha!
We have some of that struggling to grow in another part of the hedge.
I didn't know what it was. And I didn't know it had a smell! I'll
transplant it to the corner.

Where it is, it has always been small, about 18". Perhaps smothered by
the privit. Can it grow to 7"

Tony
Thanks

Aha!
We have some of that struggling to grow in another part of the hedge.
I didn't know what it was. *

Nope my mistake. On closer examination it is something different. It
only has single leaves. It has the thorns though.
I'll ask at the garden centre about Poncirus trifoliata

To

"tonyjeffs" wrote in message
...

Aha!
We have some of that struggling to grow in another part of the hedge.
I didn't know what it was.

Nope my mistake. On closer examination it is something different. It
only has single leaves. It has the thorns though.
I'll ask at the garden centre about Poncirus trifoliata

To

Surely you want Berberis, I forget the name but the orange flowered one is
razor sharp. I expect Nick will come back with the name

In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
| "tonyjeffs" wrote in message
| ...
|
| Aha!
| We have some of that struggling to grow in another part of the hedge.
| I didn't know what it was.
|
| Nope my mistake. On closer examination it is something different. It
| only has single leaves. It has the thorns though.
| I'll ask at the garden centre about Poncirus trifoliata

It may be pyracantha.

| Surely you want Berberis, I forget the name but the orange flowered
| one is razor sharp. I expect Nick will come back with the name

Berberis vulgaris - the native species! It's rather tricky to get
and a bit slow to get established, but its spines are indeed exactly
like needles. Some of the other berberis are similar, but the most
common ones are only a little spinier than gorse.

There is also pyracantha, several roses, and probably some hawthorns
(but the native species aren't all that thorny). I can't remember
what else, but there are more.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 12/9/08 18:02, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"tonyjeffs" wrote in message
...

Aha!
We have some of that struggling to grow in another part of the hedge.
I didn't know what it was.

Nope my mistake. On closer examination it is something different. It
only has single leaves. It has the thorns though.
I'll ask at the garden centre about Poncirus trifoliata

To

Surely you want Berberis, I forget the name but the orange flowered one is
razor sharp. I expect Nick will come back with the name

Berberis are good and so is Rosa rugosa. Not many people will argue with
the many spines on the latter.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Berberis are good and so is Rosa rugosa. Not many people will argue with
| the many spines on the latter.

But do watch out for berberis! They vary between the vicious and the
cuddly.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 12/9/08 19:23, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Berberis are good and so is Rosa rugosa. Not many people will argue with
| the many spines on the latter.

But do watch out for berberis! They vary between the vicious and the
cuddly.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I have to find the name of one that Hyams planted here moons ago and ask you
about it, Nick. It's in his book about this garden so I've got to go on a
hunt for it. He was obviously rather fond of Berberis and planted quite a
lot of them down one particular path beside the church. Or perhaps he was
making a point about anarchism!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Sacha writes:
| |
| | Berberis are good and so is Rosa rugosa. Not many people will argue with
| | the many spines on the latter.
|
| But do watch out for berberis! They vary between the vicious and the
| cuddly.
|
| I have to find the name of one that Hyams planted here moons ago and ask you
| about it, Nick. It's in his book about this garden so I've got to go on a
| hunt for it. He was obviously rather fond of Berberis and planted quite a
| lot of them down one particular path beside the church. Or perhaps he was
| making a point about anarchism!

I'm not an expert! But they are a far more interesting genus than is
often realised.

I shall have to wait and see what my current spontaneous seedling turns
into. It doesn't match any of the descriptions, but it is possible that
young plants may have different leaf structure from old ones.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 12/9/08 23:13, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
| |
| | Berberis are good and so is Rosa rugosa. Not many people will argue
with
| | the many spines on the latter.
|
| But do watch out for berberis! They vary between the vicious and the
| cuddly.
|
| I have to find the name of one that Hyams planted here moons ago and ask
you
| about it, Nick. It's in his book about this garden so I've got to go on a
| hunt for it. He was obviously rather fond of Berberis and planted quite a
| lot of them down one particular path beside the church. Or perhaps he was
| making a point about anarchism!

I'm not an expert! But they are a far more interesting genus than is
often realised.

I shall have to wait and see what my current spontaneous seedling turns
into. It doesn't match any of the descriptions, but it is possible that
young plants may have different leaf structure from old ones.


Well, he names several types that he grew but this is called Berberis
hypokerina which he describes as "a rare, large-leaved species better for
foliage than flower." Of course,, her wrote An Englishman's Garden in 1967
so, for all I know, this Berberis is now sold in 50 garden centres around
the country. But we no longer have it here and I'd like to get it. One
place in Dorset is listed as having it so I'll have to try there. Do you
know it? And also BTW, did you enjoy the bit on Cambridge Botanical Garden
in GW? I think I'm right that you're a Friend of same?


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Well, he names several types that he grew but this is called Berberis
| hypokerina which he describes as "a rare, large-leaved species better for
| foliage than flower." Of course,, her wrote An Englishman's Garden in 1967
| so, for all I know, this Berberis is now sold in 50 garden centres around
| the country. But we no longer have it here and I'd like to get it. One
| place in Dorset is listed as having it so I'll have to try there. Do you
| know it?

Probably not. Bean says that it has a rather poor growth habit, which
somewhat reduces its attractiveness.

| And also BTW, did you enjoy the bit on Cambridge Botanical Garden
| in GW? I think I'm right that you're a Friend of same?

No - I am afraid not. After they changed the rules, I was thinking
of becoming one, but am seriously put off by the current monetarist
management. I have virtually given up on television, because of its
degraded auditory quality - if it were up to me, I would stop taking
a licence altogether.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:50:05 -0700 (PDT), tonyjeffs
wrote:

Our house is on a corner. At the side of the garden is a privit hedge,
and at the end is a stone wall. The corner where the two meet is very
vulnerable to burglars, and there've recently been 3 in the street.

So... we need either barbed wire (joking) or a nice thorny bush to
make that access route less attractive.
We have a thorny bush elsewhere in the garden. The leaves are red on
one side. It'd look nice against the green privit. What is it?
What alternative bushes would do the trick?
Is it a good time to plant?

Thanks

Tony

I'm sure there's shed loads of useful prickly plant advice already so
here's my take on it:

What you can do is make sure your house isn't the one without the
alarm!
Also give your windows and frames a good clean so that if you have
SOCO out after a crime they can get good clear fingerprints.
Relevant to the garden - finely raked soil under windows that takes
good shoe impressions is useful too.

Our homewatch info says most are opportunist through open windows so
always lock all windows and doors. If you see people lurking then ring
the police. They won't mind. (Don't ring 999 unless you see something
actually happening though - ring the main number rather than going
through to a local office which is almost certainly unmanned for most
of the day. (eg: i'd ring 872 5050 which goes to the main switchboard
rather than ring Chadderton local office as I know my odds of getting
a pcso in there are slim to zero.)
That number will be in your phone book. Make a note of it somewhere
obvious if you don't already know it.
Also get to know your local pcso and get their collar number (it
starts with a 6!) and then when you ring up you can ask if they're on
by giving that number and then send them a message if they are.

If you've had 3 break ins then it's time to mobilise the neighbours
and start a home watch so people start taking notes on the dodgy
people lurking about (height, coat colour, hair colours, shoes etc)
and ringing it through to the police.
You can get a lovely pack from the homewatch man with a UV marker pen,
stickers and advice leaflets. Ours also do an over 25s sticker for the
cars.


--
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On 13/9/08 10:41, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| Well, he names several types that he grew but this is called Berberis
| hypokerina which he describes as "a rare, large-leaved species better for
| foliage than flower." Of course,, her wrote An Englishman's Garden in 1967
| so, for all I know, this Berberis is now sold in 50 garden centres around
| the country. But we no longer have it here and I'd like to get it. One
| place in Dorset is listed as having it so I'll have to try there. Do you
| know it?

Probably not. Bean says that it has a rather poor growth habit, which
somewhat reduces its attractiveness.

Which rather relates to Ray's remark that some rarities aren't grown because
they're not worth growing! Nonetheless, I think I'll try to find out just
out of sheer curiosity.

| And also BTW, did you enjoy the bit on Cambridge Botanical Garden
| in GW? I think I'm right that you're a Friend of same?

No - I am afraid not. After they changed the rules, I was thinking
of becoming one, but am seriously put off by the current monetarist
management. I have virtually given up on television, because of its
degraded auditory quality - if it were up to me, I would stop taking
a licence altogether.


The sound quality is appalling now and I don't think it's *just* because
we're getting older and deefer! But there are a few things we wouldn't want
to miss and some we like to re-visit.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| The sound quality is appalling now and I don't think it's *just* because
| we're getting older and deefer! But there are a few things we wouldn't
| want to miss and some we like to re-visit.

I know that it's not. I can hear repeats of 1950s outside broadcasts
and most earlier films (not all) without trouble. It's a deliberate
policy on behalf of all current broadcasters and film makers (I have
that in writing from the Beeb), and thus they have a policy of ignoring
complaints (despite the fact that it is or was the foremost cause of
complaints). I checked up on the Disability Discrimination Act, and
it carefully doesn't cover such things (or stations and airports,
which make even less attempt to make their information accessible).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 13/9/08 11:04, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
|
| The sound quality is appalling now and I don't think it's *just* because
| we're getting older and deefer! But there are a few things we wouldn't
| want to miss and some we like to re-visit.

I know that it's not. I can hear repeats of 1950s outside broadcasts
and most earlier films (not all) without trouble. It's a deliberate
policy on behalf of all current broadcasters and film makers (I have
that in writing from the Beeb), and thus they have a policy of ignoring
complaints (despite the fact that it is or was the foremost cause of
complaints).

I don't understand - or I hope I don't! You mean they set out to make
inaudible programmes?!


I checked up on the Disability Discrimination Act, and
it carefully doesn't cover such things (or stations and airports,
which make even less attempt to make their information accessible).

I wish there was some organisation for the abolition of music played over
dialogue in tv plays and in films. AMPOD, instead of iPod! Nothing is more
infuriating than that. They appear frightened that the quality of the
script can't hold up on its own without the counterpoint of music to enhance
pathos - or more probably bathos.
But kudos to GW last night - plant names on the screen! I love that white
daffodil, Thalia, and am going to get some!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon