AIBU to do whatever I like to my fence?

[SunnaStrangeInTheNeighbourhood]

Or rather is DH BU?

Last summer we replaced our tatty 6ft fence with a brand new one. It's a very long garden and that side was looking horribly bare. We have planted shrubs and flowers in beds down the side but it was still looking a bit naked because we'd had to remove a lot of established bushes and shrubs to do the fence.

DH scrounged was given some lightweight barbed wire left over from a friend's project and has been hammering it to the fence along the top and in loops and curls up and down with the intention of growing some climbing plants along it. It will also make it harder for random burglars to climb over the fence, he said. 3 years ago a potential burglar scaled all the fences down the lane and tried all the back doors, so it's not entirely silly to think it could happen.

NDN is worried about his cat getting hurt. Said cat hardly ever comes in our garden because we shout at it or squirt it with water. Until we moved in it had used it as an outside toilet. 4 years of discouragement means we hardly see it any more.

Cats aren't stupid so I think it may have encountered barbed wire before (we live in a village surround by farm land) and will have learned to avoid it or tiptoe round it. He wants us to remove it but "doesn't want to fall out over it". Dh has said he doesn't want to fall out either but it's staying.

NDN's wife says he's being ridiculous. He is isn't he?

Great news OP. Old cobbles much nicer in a garden than barbed wire!

The cobbles sound lovely - well done, DH!

YY to those suggestions for plants to deter any would be intruders.

Dunno if anyone's said it yet as I haven't read all the replies but Wisteria from a cutting (as opposed to a graft) can take between 7 and 20 years to flower...

Thanks for all the advice.

We're going to plant a grafted wisteria as well, Tatty, but we wanted to preserve the old one as well, if possible, for sentimental reasons.

Going for the pentonville garden design then...

Oh do read the thread coral you look stupid now.

Kids used to sit and bounce up and down on my front garden fence. I planted a row of Wild Edric roses (David Austen). They grow up to 7ft if I let them, have beautiful scent and flowers, and are very, very thorny. Problem solved.

I think you mean "thank you for taking time to think about my problem". I read bloody loads of it but missed the last part. I'm not one of those posters who reads every part of a thread if it isn't about something very detailed and personal, which this isn't. I know that's controversial on here but it's the way I do things. I'm glad you're not going to use the barbed wire.

Glad you and your DH have changed your mind. My worry was DC's playing hide and seek in the garden which mine used to do. They would clamber in anywhere and everywhere behind mature bushes etc.. they could get a nasty injury with barbed wire.
Just as an aside, don't whatever you do contemplate getting Russian Vine (advertised as a quick grower). It's not known as mile-a-minute for nothing! It is beyond invasive, grows as you look at it, yes it's prettyish with white flowers but it will take over your whole garden and take years to get rid of. Voice of experience speaking

don,t know about the moral thing but legally .if your ndn cat was injured you would be liable .this i do know .if anyone or creature is injured you liable .so i would not bother .do you wan,t massive vet bills .

To anyone else SUNNA'S DH ISN'T GOING TO USE THE BARBED WIRE ANYMORE, IT'S GONE.

Do RTFT

Thanks, Classy.

sorry .did,nt realise i had to read every post just read the first couple of pages no need to bloody SHOUT.

There's no need to read every post but it's useful to at least read the OP's updates throughout a thread before commenting in case things have moved on. You can even highlight their posts in a different colour to make it easier to do so.

It helps to read the thread so you know when it's moved on and pointless posts are avoided.

It also helps to be more polite about it.