Author Topic: What should I grow against this wall? (Read 3258 times)

Womble · « **on:** July 23, 2014, 08:25:53 pm »

I was worried about the sheep escaping over our muck-heap wall, which is only about 4' tall, so I've (nearly) added some post and rail fencing to try and stop them!

I really wanted the posts up tight to the wall, but couldn't do that because of some occasional big rocks, so I've ended up with a strip between the wall and the fence measuring 1 foot x 23 feet, which is fairly shady and runs North-South. The muck heap has been there for years, so the ground is very fertile (super-sized nettles most years).

The question is, is there anything useful I can plant in that space? It needs to:

Not be poisonous to livestock
Not put big roots or runners through the muck-heap (I was thinking blackberries, but ruled them out for that reason)
Be easy to maintain

I'd also like it to feed us in some way if possible (nuts or berries), and/or look pretty.
Any thoughts?

pgkevet · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2014, 10:00:53 pm »

Clematis likes it's boots in the shade and head in the sun or for some fruit perhaps some passion flowers could work there.. or even kiwi..?

With the benefit of hindsight I wonder if you could have bolted your uprights to the wall and just added a couple of rails at the top.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2014, 11:33:16 pm »

Whatever you put in that little alley will be nibbled or even demolished by the sheep. It's amazing where they can get their heads

They even eat brambles (carefully). There's not much either which will grow so flat that it won't poke through the rails. About the only thing I can think of is quince Japonica, well trained.

Rosemary · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2014, 06:45:25 am »

Braw fence

Womble · « **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2014, 09:24:18 am »

Good point Fleecewife! I should have said, I'm happy to put some chicken netting up on the inside of the fence to stop sheep from sticking their heads through, but obviously anything that actually grows through the fence legitimately belongs to them!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2014, 11:07:32 am »

If it's to be edible - how will you pick it? Chicken wire to keep sheep off means it keeps you off too. Unless you can lean over the wall to pick?

bloomer · « **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2014, 12:59:20 pm »

what about planting some hedge type plants, hawthorns/beach etc maybe hazel?

put the netting in, anything that pokes through the sheep will prune :-)

looks nice, berries for wildlife and if you add some blackthorn/hazel/etc maybe in a year or two something to harvest...

ellied · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2014, 09:14:50 am »

I would plant an edible hedge selection including hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, maybe elderberry if you don't mind cutting it back long before the others require pruning. Hawthorn brandy is on my to do list so I can't vouch for it yet but it certainly is good stock hedging, then sloe gin obviously, hazel if you can get the nuts before anything else does, and elderflower and elderberry are both tasty ingredients.

I am plotting something similar for a march fence to add windbreak and reduced visibility between stock over time, and the only real issue is that fence has electric topwire so cutting back elder becomes a top priority job. I am also thinking of putting in a couple of rowan trees at intervals, to grow higher level and again provide berries for me and the birds, hopefully in that order