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michal_ms

screen / living fence

michal_ms
19 years ago

We have had a problem with teens coming on our property (sleding down our hill, for example), not to mention neighbors' dogs and cats wondering around! Of course, the teens destroyed two small wild plum trees my sister gave me and the bluebird nestbox my uncle made for me. We want to surround our property with a living fence. I've got 7 southern magnolias planted around one side of the property (east). What could I plant between them to form a barrier. Also, I want a hedge / border / living fence across the front of the house on the south side (not too tall!) I want the screen, but I still want it to look nice. I don't want the screen to take away from the property value. We can then put up a gate across the driveway. It's not foolproof, but it should help!

I would absolutely love some suggestions. Maybe some of you have done this yourself. All these areas are full sun, well-drained. We have clay soil here in MS.

Thank you so much for your help!

Comments (11)

  • greenelbows1
    19 years ago

    I think you're starting out well, especially by not planting all the same thing as is so often done with screens. That's okay of course if that's what you want, but a nice mixture of plants is more interesting, at least to me. As a barrier especially you might consider interplanting a few 'stickery guys' like holly and mahonia. There's something tickling at the back of my brain I can't pull out, that is a little less-seen. There are a number of both hollies and mahonias that do well here. The magnolias will give you a lot of shade fairly soon, so you could plant things like camellias, and again I like ones with a little different leaf form. Some, while beautiful in bloom, can be sort of green lumps the rest of the season. I do have the impression that it will be hard to grow anything very close to the magnolias even if you limb them up. Seems to me they have pretty greedy roots. But I think they're really beautiful just allowed to be themselves. You might keep an eye out for named cultivars with tomentum on the backs of the leaves.

  • Pterostyrax
    19 years ago

    Do a google search for Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki'. A colorful, fragrant, evergreen plant with spines to deter neighbor's kids from coming on your property. Burford holly is another great plant for this purpose.

  • will_work_for_roses
    19 years ago

    we have also planted prickly hollies as a deterent. A fast grower is cryptomeria japonica. Grows fast like a leyland cypress, but more refined looking. Eleagnus grows fast and dense and offers a silver leaf as a contrast to the other plants. We did a curving line down the property line, with 5 of one thing, 3 of another, etc. With room in front of them for some smaller shrubs and plants that bloom.

  • LoraxDave
    19 years ago

    I really like 'Goshiki', but find it to be a very slow growing shrub. I have one and my parents do also, and both are growing slowly. I have mine near a walkway leading to my house, where we can enjoy the really cool foliage.

    I think the old-fashioned, full size Burford Hollies (as opposed to the overused dwarfs) are really great plants. Black-green foliage and the almost unbelievable berry display are hard to beat! Who needs Pyracantha?!?!?

  • petra_gw
    19 years ago

    If you want a really thorny deterrent, plant "Mermaid". It is a climbing rose, but you might be able to grow several as wide, mounding shrubs. It throws canes that are 15 - 25 feet long. It also produces really pretty, fragrant flowers. Check out the link, it includes a picture of Mermaid being used as a hedge.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mermaid

  • bigeasyjock
    19 years ago

    Hollies do do well in shade so if you are very heavy shaded by the magnolias, or will in the near furture, go for the holly. I would note that Mahonia (Oregan grape holly)also does very well in deep shade but is sloooooooow to grow.
    Don't forget you can create a barrier without the stickers. Any kind of dense hedge will stop the kids like the wild privets and azalea. Or let a vine grow in like native grapes, dew or black berries and wild climbing roses. I have a Cherokee rose and you are not getting through that nasty mess.
    So think tangles and stickers :o)
    Mike

  • angelfairy
    19 years ago

    Aralia spinosa: Devils Walking Stick. These are attractive, tropical looking trees with lovely flowers at the top and deep purple berries all fall. They spread easily in the south and have thorns all over the trunk and branches. I cut them back to the ground every other year and they come back better than ever and form thickets which help with my need for shade as well as critter control. Also good are Barberry (shrubs), and of course rambling roses.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Aralia spinosa

  • brenda_near_eno
    19 years ago

    Cunninghamia. It is tough as nails, will grow anywhere, fast. Evergreen. Prickly. Wet or dry. Alkaline or acid. Sun or shade. Grows fast. High ouch factor. Can be grown as shrub or tree. It is easy to find - most nurseries have it if you ask.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Spiny evergreen

  • Jessiep
    19 years ago

    How about Knockout roses they have thorns and mine has grown to about 6 feet tall here in Texas.My son who lives in Alabama and I talked about this at christmas.That no burglar whould want to climb into those.I have about 10 planted here.All you have to buy is one and you can root all you want from there.

  • summer66 D
    19 years ago

    Even though I am in the northeast, I have the same problems with neighbors (young and adult) cutting through my flowers beds as well as their pets racing around in my flowerbeds. Even though I politely asked them to stay out of my flower beds, it's only getting worse. Not to mention the amount of dog waste I am finding in my front yard and flower beds. I have lost too many plants and I am also looking at more denser evergreens and thorny shrubs to put around in my beds. I liked your suggestions and thought I might offer a few more. I am considering flowering quince, barberry and some smaller evergreen shrubs to add winter interest. I like the idea of the holly plants. I have a couple of holly plants in a bed I was planning on removing and now I think I know where I will move them to. I don't want to sound mean, but it gets expensive to keep replacing plants.

  • sowngrow (8a)
    19 years ago

    I have a cottage which we frequent intermittently on weekends. Last weekend we found the top arched finials on our iron fence had been removed in one spot. It appears kids wanted to get over the fence to get to our dock as nothing was burglarized from our home or yard. I'll be reattaching the pointed finials and planting climbing roses along the fence. Nobody will want to try and climb past those thorns! ;-)

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