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I have to put up a fence at home to finally achieve some privacy. Because I live in the boonies and the house is in a conservation area, I only got permission to erect a hurdle fence. Hurdle fences are either woven willow or woven hazel. They look very nice, last about 5 years (unless you treat them yourself) and can cost 4 times what a softwood fence would cost.

So after some web investigation, the prices come in at between £30 and £60 per 6 x 6 ft (1.8 m x 1.8 m) hurdle. Sounds suspicious..... Further investigation reveals that the cheaper ones are imports from Poland, but apparently the quality is pretty much the same, presumably because willow and hazel are the same whether you are in the UK or 600 miles eastwards, it's just the labour costs that are somewhat different.

So I identify a hurdle supplier south of Bristol who sells the Polish ones. They look great on the photo. I call up and they have 40 in stock, which is the amount I need. So far so good, but I'm a busy person so I can't go that day or the next two days. When I do go, three days later (5 hour round trip), they have sold out except for a few sample panels. However, there are two distinct types of willow hurdle, despite being labelled as the same product. One is a well made hurdle made from dark late growth and the other is a poorer made green made from new growth. The hazel hurdle is just too transparent to give good privacy.

So, I ask when the next load is due in - one or two weeks. Looks like another 5 hour round trip with no guarantee that the right quality hurdles are going to have been supplied, unless I can source my 40 panels from elsewhere....

Then I need 40 posts. My local builder has already warned me that unless I go for pressure treated (softwood) posts, they'll rot in the ground within a few years. So, do I go for great looking chestnut posts that will need replacing in 3-4 years or dodgy pine posts that will last 10 years or more?