The garden can be one of the most important parts of our home. With flowers blooming and veg growing, these havens of biodiversity can bring us closer to nature. Giving us a feeling of joy, relaxation and wellbeing.
So, it’s easy to forget how much we spend on our gardens. Whether it’s a new barbeque, garden furniture or an outdoor heater, it can potentially add up to a lot of money. Protecting them from pests and diseases is one thing, but we should also consider protecting them from intruders. With a few simple measures you can keep intruders out, so you continue enjoying your precious green space.
With driveways at the side of many homes, this can give an opportunist a clear view into your garden. Therefore, create structures, plant climbing plants and tall shrubs, or add a high fence and gate to obscure the view from the pavement. Fixing a horizontal plant trellis across the top of a fence, for plants to grow up and through, can give you that extra height, whilst making it a difficult obstacle to climb over. A gravelled drive will mean noise, something a burglar will want to avoid. Also, don’t help the intruder by leaving your wheelie bins out, this gives him leverage to hop over a fence. Place these safely out of sight when it’s not bin day.
Whether it’s bought plants, pots or tools, anything new brought into your garden, ensure all labelling and price tags are removed. For packaging, try to keep it out of sight until bin day. Anyone can easily rifle through your recycle bin, giving them clues to what’s worth pinching from your garden.
Hedging can do much for a garden. Not only does it create structure and help fill flower beds, it can also be used as a deterrent. By using prickly and thorny shrubs, such as roses, berberis and pyracantha, these can be strategically planted in exposed areas. Or planted below windows, to help prevent someone from trying to gain entry into your home.
Keeping a garden pruned can reduce shaded unkept areas, making it difficult for someone to hide unnoticed. Also, keep borders, fences and gates up together. Anything that has deteriorated or is broken, replace.
Garden tools, bikes and hoses can easily be removed from a garden. So, if you’re not using it, lock it away. A secure shed, padlocks and chains can be enough to put a burglar off. However, if you don’t have the space in your shed or garage, items can be chained and anchored. Covered over with a little ground cover planting, you wouldn’t know they’re there. Also, for large, expensive pots, when planting up, add a few bricks or large gravel to the base. Not only for drainage, but that extra weight will make it difficult to lift and remove from your garden.
An obvious security measure is lighting. Fixing security lighting somewhere where it can be seen, but not reached, a burglar can be put off entering your premises. If he does decide to take the risk, then the sensors will trigger the lighting revealing the intruder. With lighting and alarm systems that can now alert you on your phone, it can give you that extra piece of security if you’re away.
Finally, make sure your garden, and its items, come under your house insurance policy. A lot of people regard their green spaces as another valuable room to their home, so it’s easy to forget how much time and expense can go into this area. Also, tag items with your postcode. If they are stolen, and then recovered at a later date, you know these are yours if marked with invisible ink for prove of ownership.
Your garden is for you and those close to you. So, give yourself that peace of mind and protect your green space.
For more information on garden security go to: /www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/protecting-garden-to-safeguard-your-home/
Read more gardening tips from Ade
