Something thorny

Gerry.L

The sister wants me to ask, she lives in a council house with a small back garden. And this year she made a raised bed and grew some veggies. However more than once local kids came and took them, including various garden ornaments.

She set-up a camera, but the kids are too wise to it and wear hoods. And all the guards ever seem to do is take a complaint and a copy of the tape and then "look into it". SHe has 3 cats, so a guard dog is not an option...

Her plan is now to grow something very very thorny at the wall where they are climbing over. Any ideas on what plant/bush would serve this need?

Also, it has being suggested (since she cant have a dog) that she should consider bees? Would it be any addition do ya think?

foxinsox

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

The deep reddish-brown thorny branches of this Berberis make an attractive but impenetrable hedge. They produce dainty straw coloured flowers in spring and vibrant red berries in autumn.


I can't post images but if you google it you will see it!

Another trick: Buy large bucket of chicken manure pellets (€12) and put pellets all along the top of the wall they are climbing, it stinks to high heaven and when it rains it forms smelly crust along wall, if you put your hand on this it would be a long time before you'd climb wall again. It is also great for veggies and plants!

jezko

[QUOTE=
Another trick: Buy large bucket of chicken manure pellets (€12) and put pellets all along the top of the wall they are climbing, it stinks to high heaven and when it rains it forms smelly crust along wall, if you put your hand on this it would be a long time before you'd climb wall again. It is also great for veggies and plants![/QUOTE]

Lovely Idea



Bees Sting!! Everyone, Friend and Foe!!


Look up Pyracantha, thorny evergreen (Nasty bugger to prune) good range of different coloured Berries

However no matter what plant you but in... (unless it's a large specimen) Kids will stamp and break down most young plants!!
Can you talk to the Parents? are they locals?

razor barbed wire could be used on your side of the Property ... (Would the council allow this?) ( i assume it's owned by the council) It'll Look like a Military stockade..
Just an idea to allow the "thorny" Plants to Grow and develop and you can remove the wire later

chiefwiggum

invest in a large tub of grease and smear on the top of the wall..in the dark they'll never see it and it will destroy their nice addidas trackies and trainers and their ma's will slap the heads of them when she discovers it all over her carpets.....

Gerry.L

Thanks for the fast replys

Foxinsox: Im just looking at that plant now that you suggested. Its actually quite nice, wouldnt mind that in my own garden. I think that might be our answer. Hopefully now she'll like it.

jezko: To be honest I dont think she has talked to any parents, but ya know yourself it would be the same old story "what, my son... never" As for the barb wire... she has that on the list already. But thats only a last resort. Like you said it makes the place look like military camp

Chiefwiggum: Thanks for the advice. She has tried it already, but it kinda backfired when her cats were comming into the house destroyed. And its funny you mentioned the kids doing it in the dark, but believe it or not their usual hours of vandalism are 9-7 Mondays to Fridays (in other words, when shes at work).

chiefwiggum

little backstards.....you cant have anything nice these days....

foxinsox

I've seen a friend try to wash her cat in the sink after one of the neighbours put grease on their wall!

It was a very frightening and funny experience all at once!

The chicken manure on the wall will work...seriously.. try it.. and the Berberis is a great plant and looks great too.

looksee

Don't go near the razor wire/ broken glass/ barbed wire options, you may be allowed to shoot burglars now but you can't endanger vandals.

jezko

looksee wrote: »

Don't go near the razor wire/ broken glass/ barbed wire options, you may be allowed to shoot burglars now but you can't endanger vandals.

I disagree

if the barbwire is in plain sight and not hidden, they how could you be found at fault for trying to protect your property (And again I would only use till the plants were established then you could remove it

And lets be honest this will not stop them,only slow and hinder them

jezko

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2006/11/colletia_hystrix_rosea.php

Colletia hystrix is commonly known as crucifixion thorn or barbed wire bush.
This species competes with Erinacea anthyllis for the title of “most likely to puncture skin if handled carelessly”. Its photosynthetic thorns are viciously sharp, which makes it difficult to smell the small, fragrant flowers.:D

bbam

I'd give the Pyracantha a +1...
We had one in our last garden and I would be in bits after trying to prune it...

Most of these shrubs will be slow enough to grow

Gerry.L

Thanks for all the advice everyone. We have a list of everything mentioned on this thread and we are going to head down to the garden center in an hour or two to see what they have.

Since everything mentioned seems to be "slow growing" shes going to look about buying a pre-grown bush... instead of a pack of seeds. Again shes not made off money so her budget is around 50-75 euro... and it has be a bush that somebody with just basic gardening skills should be able to keep.

Nearly forgot, a mate jokingly mentioned last night about putting a gorse bush in... he said it as a joke, but I actually think that might be a good idea. I mean gorse is something everybody recognises as a-dont-touch-bush. Any thoughts on this. Since nobody else has mentioned it Im guessing its a bad idea?

Once again, thanks for all the help. We really appreciate it

kylith

Another +1 for Pyrocanthus. Until recently I had one in my garden and I can vouch for its viciousness from the wounds I recieved.

AFAIK Gorse will self seed and rapidly take over a garden.

Could she, as a stop-gap measure, affix some troughs to the wall and fill them with nettles?

bbam

Gorse would be a mistake to bring into a garden..
I was thinking... a well placed and chosen rambling rose would grow to cover a wall quite quickly.. Rambling roses require less care and less specalised pruning, if fed well they grow exceptionally fast.. Some can be extremly thorny indeed, been there got the scar !!

yellowlabrador

I planted a rambling rose and it's vicious, I have a real battle with it once a year when I train new growth horizontally along the wall. It has grown 3 metres to either side and I challenge anyone to try to climb over it. It would tear your clothes to shreds. Now I have trouble with the little monsters throwing their litter over the wall into the rambler.

jezko

bbam wrote: »

Gorse would be a mistake to bring into a garden..
I was thinking... a well placed and chosen rambling rose would grow to cover a wall quite quickly.. Rambling roses require less care and less specalised pruning, if fed well they grow exceptionally fast.. Some can be extremly thorny indeed, been there got the scar !!

Roses are good Idea but I would go with a "Bush" rose ...

Rosa Rugosa ... scented flowers (Pink/White) and masses of Thorns!!

I was told before the Genista Hispanica sp. (Spainish Gorse) will not self seed... (It's smaller more compact .. if anyone heard similar?

jezko

yellowlabrador wrote: »

I planted a rambling rose and it's vicious, I have a real battle with it once a year when I train new growth horizontally along the wall. It has grown 3 metres to either side and I challenge anyone to try to climb over it. It would tear your clothes to shreds. Now I have trouble with the little monsters throwing their litter over the wall into the rambler.

Throw the "monsters" into the rambler to get their waste...