You'll get a big fat kiss on both cheeks if you can answer this question!

A couple of years ago I created a new herbaceous bed which borders my neighbour's field. The bed is about 100 ft long approx ie not small Along the back of the border I planted Atremisia Oriental Limelight as a sort of hedge as it was a good height for the border and kept it's leaves well into winter.
Year 1 the bed looked fine and "hedge" worked well. Sheep in field next door.
Year 2 Spring we had Aberdeen Angus mums and calves, fine.
Year 2 Autumn when Artemisia was fully grown "delightful" young Angus Bullocks appeared in the field and within hours they had decimated the "hedge"...much swearing.
I am having to dig out the "hedge" as not only did the little darlings bug... up my plants they damaged the post and wire fence too so can't have repeat performance.
So big question, does anybody know of an herbaceous preferably plant which grows about 3 to 4 ft tall, doesn't need staking, is pretty vigerous AND cattle don't like to eat? I am far too old to start to plant something akin to a Beech hedge as I'll be dead probably before it looked decent hence why I thought of what I did which would have worked extremely well but for my next door neighbours! I already have all sorts of baracades up to stop deer decimating the garden but they are all but impossible to deter and at least they disappear come about April. I may well have young Bbullocks again all season for all I know

 

Gorse, if you can keep it under control.

Do I get my big kiss on both cheeks now?

Or I suppose if Gorse is a non-starter, perhaps it's posher relative, broom?

The 'obvious' thing would be hawthorn, favoured since roman times I believe, but it's pretty slow to get going.

Or, plain old elderberry trees. When I bought my house about 7 years ago, I realised that in the back garden, I had a very ugly unrestricted view of the fire exit from the prefabricated community Hall next door. Being flat broke having just bought the house and moved, I had to do something on a budget as close as possible to nil. So I popped up to my land, had a wander around my little bit of woodland, and found half a dozen elderberry saplings. I dug them up, brought them home, and now instead of seeing the ugly prefab next door, I see lush green foliage. I'm not sure how effective it would be with livestock present, but the bark and leaves are mildly toxic so I think things know not to ear it.

 

Would something like Spirea Gold Flame be of any use. Quick growing - nice spring colour - and you could run along the top with the hedgetrimmers to keep it to the height you want.

 

Lol @clueless no you don't. We do quite a line in Gorse (we call it Whin and many other things if you happen to get tangled in it) here already. It's lethal to deal with and really difficult to get rid of. We have clumps spring up in our fields which is a pain in the neck. As for being close to it when dealing with the rest of the bed, that's asking for a fate worth than death.The only plant I can think of which is worse to be around is Bramble!
HOWEVER, your information about Elderberry has got me thinking. I am very keen on "poor man's Acers" and grow quite a few fancy Elders (Sambucas Black Lace and Sutherland's Gold being 2 which come to mind). They are pretty easy to strike fromm cuttings so could make a "hedge" out of those maybe. They are fast growing too. Snag is to know if cattle eat it? I suppose if more bullocks appear I could cut down a branch from the ones I already have and wave it infront of their noses and see if it gets munched.

 

What about Holly bushes?They can be quick growing and the sharp edges might be a deterrent although I am not sure if they are poisonous to cattle etc

 

Thanks @DoubleMM. I grow Spirea Gold Flame and agree it's a very nice foliage plant. I only have 1 be it large specimen and have never tried taking cuttings, have you? I would need say minimum 50 plants so might take a while to achieve what I want but certainly worth me finding out how to strike cuttings.

 

Many thanks @Kandy. Holly unfortunately isn't that fast growing here anyway, and from memory really expensive to buy. It would cost me a lot of money to buy enough plants to achieve a hedge I fear. Having a huge garden is good in most ways but when wanting to do something it always entails a large amount of work and not too healthy on the bank balance either from experience.
I am very fond of Holly and have 2 gorgeous Holly trees (both variegated but different varieties) plus an ancient ordinary Holly hedge which is home to Wrens nesting every year.

 

Err, wish I had similar problems, it beats having to put of with people as neighbours.

How about a fence, that's what we do round these parts

 

Had my fair share of neighbours from hell @pete so can really sympathise. Part of the reason why we have enjoyed living here so very much in blissful peace and quiet yet not isolated in the middle of nowhere for the last 15 years is because we have no immediate human neighbours...bliss. After you have been taken out of your own home by armed police officers because my neighbour didn't like that we had legally objected to a planning permission somewhat concerntrates the mind on finding somewhere to live without maniac next door neighbours...This episode is absolutely true and personally I definitely do not wish to repeat the experience however much the victim support officer said it was character building. I will not repeat what I said or where I suggested he could shove his character building.

 

Many thanks all. Some good ideas worth considering, going to speak with neighbouring farmer and see if I can get any kind of idea as to whether the young bullock occupation of the field is going to be a regular occurance or not.Will leave it a few days tho as he will be in a very bad mood being an avid Scottish Rugby Union fan and livid about us getting gubbed at Twickenham today

 

Still. It could be worse. If you were a less patient and tolerant kind of neighbour, he could be in a worse mood stewing over the realisation that by being so tight as to not even secure his livestock with, say, a cheap electric fence, he's having to foot the bill for rectification of the damage his animals caused to a neighbour's property.

 

If it was me I would expect him to pay for what is essentially his negligence and criminal damage to your property.