hedges thick enough to keep kids in the yard

[greenemama]

i want natural fencing -- a hedgerow type thingy -- around our yard. i like the idea of it being a wildlife refuge (http://www.englishplants.co.uk/trees.html) in our yard and i like the natural way that it will look, but do you think that i need a hard fence in the yard to truly keep the kids in the yard safely?

i realize that it would take a few years for the thing to be thick and tangled enough to really keep my kids in and the neighbors' kids out :shifty but i'm wondering if it would really do enough, you know? don't people in other countries use hedges to keep animals in (or out) of fields?

we've got bushes and trees 'round most of the backyard but there is this one side that is really annoyingly open and my kids are always wanting to run over into the neighbors' yard to play on their swing set and their little girl is always standing in the trees waiting for me to talk to her. it's fine and she's nice but, you know -- i don't want to feel like i have to be chatty everytime i'm in the yard. :bag

it's a shady area -- any ideas for thick bushes that flourish in the shade?

:)

[AmyDoll]

Call your local extension office - they should be able to give you good ideas about what would grow best in your area (plus that's way cheaper then calling a landscape architecht!)

[Lady TS]

What they use to keep animals in is hawthorne bushes. At least, that's one of them. They are really thorny and are trained as they grow--the people have to kind of overlap the plants, IIRC. Dh was doing research on natural fencing and was telling me about this, so I may remember something wrong.

I personally wouldn't trust a plant to keep my kids in the yard. There's always that off chance that there is a hole somewhere to sneak through. I remember crawling through the lilac bushes when I was a kid--it was kind of a game--and a good hiding spot :giggle

[snlmama]

I'd prefer a fence myself. :shifty Of course, our house came w/ a 6-foot privacy fence. :shrug If you are wanting a more open feel, how about a chain link fence to keep them in for now and line it w/ pretty bushes?

As far as dense and keeping them in or out if you choose not to do a fence, I'd recommend Burford Holly if it grows well in your area. It's dense and poky so they won't WANT to even try going thru it. And it has nice berries for the wildlife. :yes

[milkmommy]

Personally unless your willing to go really thorny I'd back it up with a fence, both because I know personally there wasn't a bush I wasn't willing to climb through (the thicker the more "adventurous" ) and I'd want more protection from someone comming onto the property.

Deanna

[greenemama]

yes, i think we're going to go with a hard surface fence. the hedges thing was a mere tangent (one of many) hatched as i sat online one day looking at pics of hedges. :grin my dh thought i was nuts, but it would have been pretty. :shifty

[Garnet]

when i was younger we had some kind of hedge that made one "wall" of our property. It was so thick and tangled we couldn't imagine going through it.

[righteous mama]

My parents have a hedge around their front yard and it kept us in. We always felt so safe behind that hedge. It doesn't have thorns, it's just thick and useful. It does get berries every year that make fun writing utensils on the sidewalk, but other than that and bees, it's wonderful. Maybe I'll walk over and take a picture for you.