With summer just around the corner, your thoughts may be turning to your garden and making it a pleasant, safe space to unwind in. Many of us appreciate our outdoor spaces now more than ever, but if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you also need to think about garden safety. Gardens can be an easy access point for opportunistic thieves or people who have set out to try breaking and entering, so it’s important you do everything you can to secure the space and keep your home protected. Here are just five simple ways you can increase your garden security ahead of the summer!
Improve your fencing
Fencing is a brilliant way to make your garden less accessible to thieves, especially if it’s high fencing. If your current fences or walls are fairly low, then it might be worth investing in some trellis to improve the height and make them harder for people to scale. Trellis can be an attractive addition to the garden as well, particularly if you train a clematis or other climbing plants across it. This will also provide more privacy and screen your home from any prying eyes.
Keep things tidy
An unkempt garden is an open invitation to thieves. Not only do overgrown gardens scream ‘unattended property’, but they also afford intruders plenty of hiding places where they can scope the house before attempting to enter. Make sure you keep hedges and large shrubs well-trimmed throughout the year and get a tree surgeon to remove any low-hanging or damaged branches to smaller trees- not only is it a great way to deter thieves, but having an organized garden is also great for the design of your space. The tidier your garden is, the better protected you are!
Consider exterior lighting
Your exterior lighting has a big role to play in securing your home and garden, so think about selecting exterior lights for added safety. Not only do they make the garden more usable late into the summer evenings, but they can also alert you to trespassers. Outdoor wall lights are an attractive feature in their own right, while motion-sensitive security lights will turn themselves on should anyone get too close to the back door. These act as a very effective deterrent and are an important part of your garden décor.
The importance of securing your shed
Thieves will often target sheds and outbuildings, sometimes in the hope that expensive machinery such as lawn mowers are stored there. They may also be after tools, either to steal them or to use them as a way to break into the main home. Make sure that you secure your garden shed when not in use, and that all tools and ladders are safely put away each day. You may also want to invest in shed alarms or further security lighting for outbuildings, to ensure they are as burglar-proof as they can be.
‘Beware of the dog’
Whether or not you actually own a fearless Rottweiler, putting up a ‘Beware of the dog’ sign really puts off criminals. Ex-thieves have revealed that the sound of a dog barking is one of the biggest deterrents to breaking and entering because no intruder wants to have to tackle a dog. You can now buy alarms that mimic the sound of dogs barking very realistically, but if you don’t have the funds, then a simple sign in the window or on the back gate can help ward off some of the more wary thieves.
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