How to Build Barriers for Your Garden

Plants can give protection to one another in ways other than against the weather; they can provide physical protection, particularly against animals. After all, hedges were first used to keep livestock either in or out of a field or garden.
One of the most effective animal proof hedges is of quick thorn, or hawthorn, (Crataegus rnonogyna). This forms a dense prickly hedge that does not need too much attention, only one or two cuts a year depending on how neat you like your hedges to look. Holly (Rex aquifolium) has similar qualities except that it is evergreen. Various Berberis species provide a good hedge, but if these are to flower then they cannot be cut too regularly, resulting in a bit of sprawling. Any prickly hedge has one severe disadvantage to the gardener: if there are any borders near the hedge which need regular weeding it is inevitable that some of the prickly leaves or thorns will find their way into the fingers or under the fingernails of the weeder.
Anima1proof hedges do not have to be prickly, as long as they are dense right to the ground; this is sufficient to keep most farm animals out. Deer are a bit of a problem, as these can jump over quite high obstacles, so any hedge grown to keep them at bay must he at least 8ft (2.5m) high. It must be dense, otherwise they can push their way through.
Hedges are no deterrent to animals such as rabbits. One way of keeping rabbits out is first to put up a galvanized wire fence, burying 6-10in (15-23cm) in the ground. Then plant the hedge next to this so that it grows through it. The fence is soon obscured from view but will remain effective as long as the galvanizing prevents it from rusting.
Prickly plants can be used elsewhere in the garden to deter domestic animals, for example, from being too much of a nuisance. If cats insist on climbing in a delicate shrub or plant, a few branches of Berberis will keep them at a distance.
.Another benefit of a hedge is that, although it is more to protect people than plants. A good thick hedge gives the gardener privacy and does, to a certain extent, absorb noise. If you like peace and quiet in your garden, this could be a real advantage.