Whether for hemming in your family and pets, or fencing out the world, you have to establish your boundaries. A fence, hedge or wall indicates the legal limit of your ownership and provides privacy, security and a finished look to your home.

But costs soon mount up, especially when the plot has a lengthy perimeter, so what are your options?

• Fences, walls and hedges - alone or in combination - all require time and effort to install, but of course walls and fences provide an instant effect.



• Hedges need time to grow and often require the extra expense of a temporary fence to protect them from grazing or trampling, and to contain toddlers and pets. Hedges also need feeding for optimum growth, and they compete with border plants for nutrients and water from the soil.