Garden

The value of property stored in gardens, sheds and garages is often much more than you imagine. Power tools, plants, containers, hand tools, sports equipment, cycles and toys are among those items most often taken by garden thieves.

What can you do?

The 'securing your home section' contains information on how to make it difficult for thieves to enter your home.

Visit the page about plants which gives advice on providing an attractive means of protecting your property. These plants are readily available from most garden centres and nurseries. Consider planting a selection of these plants as an alternative or in addition to fencing.

Home grown security can be adopted to protect all perimeters of your property, to form a barrier around drainpipes, or beneath ground floor windows etc., making a forced entry more difficult.

For more information on security contact 0845 4567000 and ask for your local crime prevention officer.

Plants

The following plants are good for securing your house and garden against potential intruders.

Berberis Julianae

Prickly evergreen shrub with shiny dark leaves. Yellow flowers in Spring. Grows 1.2 - 1.8m tall.

Berberis Stenophylla

Use this as a hedge or an individual shrub. Graceful evergreen with long arching prickly branches, masses of yellow flowers in Spring. Grows 1.8 - 2.5m tall. Allow two plants per metre.

Crateaegus Monogyna

Common Hawthorn. Forms an impenetrable thorny hedge. Fast growing, wonderful sight in May and June with fragrant white flowers. Red haws in Autumn. Plant in staggered row 4 per metre. Prune to required height.

Ilex

Holly. Evergreen shrubs for hedging or individual shrub. Green or variegated available. Plant in sun or shade. Females produce berries when males present.

Mahonia Bealei Winter Sun

Prickly evergreen shrubs with fragant yellow flowers in Winter and Spring. Grows 1.2 - 1.8m tall. Suitable for shade.

Pyracantha

Large evergreen shrub suitable for wall training or hedge. White flowers May - June followed by red, orange or yellow berries in Autumn. Thorny branches. Grows 2 - 4m tall.

Hippophae Rhamnoides

Sea Buckthorn grows in any soil and is wind resistant with silver foliage and excellent thorns. This large shrub provides superb cover. Plant in groups of 3 to obtain berries.

Rosa Rugosa Rubra-Crimson

Fragrant old fashioned rose - densely prickly for hedges or individual shrubs. Grows up to 2m tall. Red, white or purple flowers followed by hips in Autumn.

Climbing or Rambling Roses

Useful to give added protection to walls and fences. Wide selection. Heights vary from 2 - 7m.

Ulex Europaeus

Common Gorse, viciously spiny. Yellow flowers April - May. Grows 1.2 - 1.8m tall. Plant in full sun.

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