Stopping intruders!!

Hi all, my first post.
Before I begin I am clueless at gardening, always had small gardens but just moved into a house with a large garden - so time to improve my knowledge!!!

Anyway, at the end of my garden is a 5ft fence (approx 60ft across). Behind the fence is an alley way. Now in my paranoid state, I see this an an easy entrance to my house.
So,what can I do (cheaply) to prevent (or at least make it harder for( an intruder to get in?

I have thought about trellis to increase the fence height to 7ft and plant some quick growing climber to grow over? - like i said i am clueless.

any help - PLEASE!!!:thmb:

 

A few sudgestions, a hawthorn or pyracantha hedge, or if it were me rosa rugosa.

If your happy with the height of the current fence then Rosa rugosa will be perfect, spiky, low maintance needing only a once yearly spring cut/ prune and nice flowers and hips.

With a 60' length, buy the plants from a nursery not a gardencentre.

 

A seagull rose is vigorous and seriously thorny. Use wires to train them across the fence, they will be thick enough within a couple of years. But perhaps you need some privacy immediately so a trellis across the top sounds a good idea.

 

Some sort of wild rose would be nice. They grow fairly quickly, tolerate shade or full sun (mine do at least), and have seriously off-putting thorns.

 

Firethorn or Berberis.

 

The guys are right Fellakel something nice and spiky although you may have to be careful that whatever you plant doesn't bite the hands that feeds it!

A climbing rose will have it's first flowers long before a rambler, some repeatly throughout the season and these flower on growth made earlier on in the year.

With rambling roses you will be waiting longer for your first flowers as they flower on the last years growth but the flowers are followed by stunning hips, you can always plant along side it a few clematis or other climbers to extend your flowering season.

It will take 2-3 years or so for the plants to grow large but then again nothing about gardening is quick and Ramblers are more inclined to be the vigorous of the two types so these maybe ideal for you although you will have to train them along your fence.Hel.xxx.

 

thanks all - great advice!!!!!!