Hi Leaveswave, I know this is an old post so I don't know if anyone is looking anymore. I was considering the very same Idea. Please see my post on the gardening with stone forum from 9/6 titled "do you think this will work", which will more fully discribe my problem. First let me say that within a day of posting I got the very same reply as you reguarding it being dangerous. However the person that answered me was very nice, kind and helpful and they gave me a link to all the old edging posts which is how I found you. Mitch, please remember that we are here to help each other. I felt kinda bad too when what I thought what might actually be a solution was shot down, but and least my person was kind and constructive, I can only imagine how Leaves felt when they read your post. Back on subject; I don't think that people that design edging or suggest conventional edging have ever delt with quack grass. It just loves anything that simply lays on the ground and laughs at anything that is less than 6" deep or has cracks in it. Landscape fabric makes the problem worse as it loves to lie under it and then come through causing you to have to remove everything and start over. I have used the trenching method too, but with that you have to be diligent which I am not always and once it gets into the roots of the perenials, again, you have to rip out everything. I'm looking for something deeper and reasonably inexpensive. I realize that it will be a little difficult to install (my idea was to use a straight edge shovel and mallet) but I don't want to have to move all the rocks and plants again soon. I also thought about the sharp edge. I only plan to leave it showing less than and inch and then cover with mulch. I also considered cutting and old soaker hose lengthwise to cover the edge (part of my question was asking if anyone had any good ideas how to keep it on). But after reading all of the edging posts I also found the idea about bending the top edge down, or even curling it on the top. I realize this may not be easy. I know roofers have those big machines that they use to make a sharp bend. Maybe a person could find someone with a maching shop to do it. Thought, most highschools probably have them. I'm not sure how a person would make a curled edge, but I may talk to a roofer I know about it. Any ideas anyone has on the subject would be appreciated and leaves if you could e-mail any replys (or a heads up to check the post) to me I would appreciate it since they won't be sent to me like they would if it were my post. Thanks, Catrina

: ) if one MUST have fences, I think they are best put to use- ideally buried under plants. climbing peas, cukes, pole beans, morning glories...trumpet vine, autumn clematis... I picked this opinion up from a lady who grew cantalopes on hers- with little hammocks made from old mesh bags (like the ones oranges come in) for the maturing melons :)

There are quite a number of wonderful perennial vines that grow in NH. (I am assuming that the NH in your user name indicates location, but if not these may not be good suggestions.) Some of the non-invasive honeysuckles include Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), European honeysuckle (L. periclymenum) and a couple of hybrids, Goldflame and Mandarin. Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler' last week There's a wide range of clematis available in sizes ranging from just a few feet to 15 feet or more, and they come in shades of purple, pink, reddish, and white. Clematis Mikelite late June Clematis Gravetye Beauty early July Clematis Prince Charles early July Clematis Venosa Violacea early July Clematis HF Young early June Clematis Ville de Lyon mid June The native pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) is mostly a foliage plant, with large heart-shaped leaves and pipe-shaped flowers tucked into the foliage. It provides food for one of the types of swallowtail butterflies. Another vine that can be grown for foliage is hops, Humulus lupulus, which is another really large plant. Besides the various green forms that provide the hops for brewing and their ornamental value, there is a gold-leafed form. There's a great photo of mature hops vines in this thread. Climbing Hydrangea will grow in part to full shade and has white flowers in June. It gets to 20' or more if untrimmed and needs a surface to climb such as a masonry wall or tree trunk so I don't think would work for your chain link. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) isn't great for a small garden as it is a large, vigorous plant, but is good for a woodland edge where it produces fruit for birds and has crimson fall foliage. It can be grown successfully on chain link fencing also. If you are interested in edible fruit, in addition to grapes, hardy kiwi vines produce clusters of grape-sized smooth fruit that taste just like tropical kiwis, but without the fuzzy coat. Both Kiwi and grapes will produce best with proper training. There are also various annual vines such as scarlet runner beans, sweet peas, and black-eyed Susan vines (Thunbergia) that you can plant between the perennial vines for a season or two while you wait for the perennial vines to get some size. Unless you have a really narrow area, you might also want to consider shrubs planted close enough to the fence so that some of the branches grow through the fence to help hide it. Hydrangea paniculata such as Limelight, Quickfire, or Vanilla Strawberry might work for this if the area is at least 7' wide.

Good point about the slope-I really should have done better in geometry! So far the pittosporum seems most appealing since it won’t drop any fruit. i would think that I’d have to plant more than one to achieve a continuous hedge but it does appear to be a fast grower so definitely a contender