With no budget for materials, and just a pair of loppers for cutting, I’m using bramble fences to segregate areas of my garden. This is a simple how to guide for how to build a bramble fence, here, I’m making a small enclave for compost.
You will need a pair of secateurs or loppers for chopping the brambles and a pair of hardy gardening gloves. I’m using loppers stolen from my girlfriend’s stepfather, and gardening gloves that I forgot to give back to the Heath Hands volunteer group.
First select a clear patch of ground where you intend to site the fence. Since I’m making a circular enclave, I only need a small patch.
Then you’ll need a dozen or so sturdy lengths of bramble, cut from near the base. I’ve used onesbetween one and two feet long.
If there are any wee tufty bits sticking out from the lengths, just pull of chop them off. They need to be relatively smooth, but a few thorns are okay to give a little friction. These peices will be the ‘fence posts’.
Now, stick them in the ground at one foot intervals along the route of where you want the fence to go. Push them down so they’re two to three inches in the ground. If the ground’s a little hard, prod around until you find somewhere easier to push them in.
When you’ve been clearing brambles, you’ll undoubtly have acquired great lengths of bramble pulled out from the undergrowth, these you’ll be using to weave alternately in and out of the fence posts. Use bits that are over three feet in length, anything less is just futile.
Its immensely satisfying to get a good 20 foot long bit of bramble and thread it all round, so I heartily recommend using as longer pieces as you can find. The job takes ages, I’m sorry, but hopefully you’ll be clearing loads of brambles elsewhere in your overgrown garden, but stick at it and slowly you’ll build up a respectable fence.
This is the level I got up to before I grew bored and satisfied that the job was done.
I dunno what it’ll look like when its all dried out, but I’ll keep you posted.
The Wumble of Wembley 
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