Stopping kids walking through scrubland

There is some scrubland to the rear of my house. There's a bare patch amongst the trees and shrubs which is directly outside my lounge, less than 10 ft from the window. It seems half the kids in the village congregate here (damage the trees, drop rubbish etc). I think the presence of undergrowth in this particular spot would be enough to discourage the kids from hanging about here.

I was going to couple some Rosebushes to block the path and Russian Vine to get the bare ground covered. I could of course shout out the window at them, but they say prevention is better than cure. Even if it were just enough to discourage them being there all the time would suit

I realise that Russian Vine is a very agressive and fast-growing plant that often turns into a problematic weed, but this area is otherwise dirt with empty coke cans on it, although anything that would provide adequete ground coverage would be equaly as suitable.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

 

In terms of "discouraging" plants, I have a hedge of berberis julianae - spiny leaves and even spinier, erm, spines! I also have a hedge of gorse at the front - that is also suprisingly uncomfortable. The main problem is you've got to get them to grow and if they're being trampled on by kids, they're not going to get much chance! :(

 

Yes, I considered gorse, but read that it is slow growing and you have a valid point about the kids trampling on it. How about putting the Russian vine down first, getting the ground cover, and if it does discourage them, plant the gorse as a more permanent fixture?

 

The russian vine isnt the answer i bought one this year and its only climbed about 10 foot this season so far and if they were walking on it they would snap the stems as i snapped one just tieing it up..
cant you put a taller fence up to hide the view and perhaps sprinkle some nettle seeds in the bare area they would soon grow and no one likes walking through nettles..also you could get some thistle seeds ..and if you could get some blackthorn or hawthorn it would start to grow and deter them..

 

Haha - I play football on a Monday night at a local 5-a side pitch and last night the ball went out into the "bushes". As I had to go and get it, I can vouch for the fact that walking through thistles and nettles is definitely enough to deter people! Good thinking WF!

 

I have some syllibum marianum..its milk thistle to me...the only thing with that is it will die down in the winter ..where as if the nettles are under a bushy area they will still be their..also i was thinking about this while i was in the garden..blackberry stems root fast and will tolerate shade and boy do they cause a nuisance..to arms and legs when they attatch to you... all this makes me sound like a sadist..!!

 

Thanks for all of your advice.

I might start cheap (free) and take some ivy cuttings from my parents house. While they're rooting, I'll go down the nettle/thistle/bramble route. Is it best to take cuttings for bramble and seeds for nettle and thistle? If so, is there a particular method for collecting them

 

well if you just want it quick ..dig some nettles and brambles up and pop them in they will soon take off..you might find some seed heads on thistles just take them and scatter them in....you may find some seeds on nettles if they have flowered..but even if you just replanted some they will soon grow..the same as brambles they are growing like mad at the moment..

 

Hi and welcome Richsmith,
ASBOS would be easier :D :D

 

I've used brambles to cut my "Allotment" off from the rest of the "scrapyard". It took a year or so to really take over and become inpenetrable but its quite a formidable barrier now.
I dug up wild seedlings and smallish plants, at this time of the year they are putting out long shoots that root when they touch the ground.
If you start now, then by this time next year you could be getting somewhere.
Or you could go " Hug a hoodie" :D

 

you'd probably find the neighbourhod bobby on your case if you did tho'! :D

 

LOL, thanks everyone. I'm not even in the house yet, so the fact that whatever I do will take some time to establish doesn't really matter.

I managed to take a bunch of ivy cuttings; three species in my parents garden and a wild species from a nearby woodland. I've got very little time on my hands (I'm writing this at work) as the house itself is priority number one (needs a lot doing).

I know the location of a lot of bramble, the same plants I used to feed my stick insects with. I'll try digging up some young plants from there. In the case of a more establish plant, is it important to maintain the root system, or do you simply get as much as you can?