So, for years, the chain link fence between me and my local strip mall had a 7 to 9 foot (2.1ish to 2.7ish meter) tall mountain of Himalayan blackberries on the mall's side of the fence. On my side, there has been a goat run, for years, and that mountain of blackberries was part of the reason why I got them (besides loving goats) in the first place. The blackberries are an invasive species after all, and it's exhausting keeping up with three neighbors' worth of constant invasion of blackberries and bindweed. Goats, however, love to chow down on them.
I probably shouldn't call a mountain of invasive plants nice, but the song birds did sit in it and sing in a full throated chorus, it was loaded with blackberries, and it did provide a cozy sort of privacy not usually available in a city.
Untill mall landlord guy decided to cut it down to the ground. Baring my entire back yard to the view of everyone going by. Why he thought that was a good idea, I don't know. Especially since he a) never said anything and b) actually cut some of the vines on my side of the fence.
ANYWAY! Yesterday, I finally worked my way down the list of projects to creating a dead hedge to replace the blackberries, or at least the privacy aspect of them. I put it on the inside of the goat run, because that way, it's doing double duty by being a goat impenetrable barrier, so I can plant native willows, red osier, oaks, and other trees that can be coppiced or pollarded for height control and handy staight lengths of wood for stakes or basketry or whatever. Without the goats just completely devouring them. I'm really happy about that both because yay! Privacy! and because those trees are important habitat for a large number of birds and bugs.
Also, a lot of people really like the goats, so this way they can still say hi and give them goat appropriate treats. Emily here has her hooves on the dead hedge eating some of the fresh prunings I got off a job and incorporated into the dead hedge. It's not done quite yet, so the top is still loose and chaotic, but you get the idea.
On the inside of that, I'm tempted to plant some native (and native-ish) conifers, because their fine needles apparently do a good job of filtering air pollution, I like making tea from them, and you know, mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms. I love mushrooms. I'd probably have to do some intense pruning to keep them from getting ridiculously tall (considering the size of my plot), but guess what goats like eating?
That's right, everything!
