Whether you’d like to plant a pretty border of flowers or thorny shrubs to increase security in your garden, follow our top tips for planting along your fence to ensure your garden fence stays in peak condition for years to come.
Top Tips
- Leave at least a 10cm gap between the fence and new plants. Even climbers shouldn’t be planted directly next to the fence, as both the fence and plant need space to breathe!
- Don’t plant Leylandii! It grows very quickly, its roots dry out the soil and can cause subsidence …and it’s a top cause for disputes among neighbours.
- Choose slow-growing, compact shrubs to grow along fences as their roots won’t impact the foundations of your fence and require little maintenance.
- Varying heights and colours of plants creates interest and depth along your fence, which can make your garden appear bigger than planting the same flora along the whole stretch.
- Ground covering plants, such as Hebe, Phlox and Thyme are ideal for disguising the bases of taller shrubs or of the fence itself.
Top Plants to Grow to Increase Security
In areas where you’d like to increase security, plants can be an effective (and attractive!) way to deter fences being climbed, damaged or vandalised.
Roses
- There are hundreds of varieties available, so choose one that best suits your soil and the aspect of your garden.
- The prickly thorns of roses are sharp, and roses can be trained up fences making them an ideal deterrent to intruders.
- The fragrant and bountiful flowers throughout the summer stop your garden looking hostile and provide a pretty screen.
- Tip: Don’t grow roses to protect sheds as the sharp thorns can pierce felt roofs and cause leaks!
Pyracantha
- Pyracantha is an evergreen shrub with attractive flowers and vivid red, orange or yellow berries in autumn and winter. There are several varieties suitable for most gardens.
- As its common name, Firethorn, suggests it has very sharp thorns along its branches.
- As an evergreen, pyracantha looks attractive throughout the year and its delicate blooms and berries disguise its prickly, unclimbable nature.
Berberis
- Berberis, commonly known as Barberry, is a wonderful evergreen shrub available in dozens of varieties that grow well in the UK.
- Although an evergreen, most varieties’ foliage do change colour throughout the year. Clusters of tiny flowers and berries make this shrub particularly attractive throughout the seasons.
- The thin branches grow spines, making Berberis very difficult to get a hold of and climb.
Related Posts:
Setting up Boundary Agreements with Neighbours
Understanding Private Rights of Way
Improving Security with Fencing
What Style of Fencing Would suit My Property?
