Did you know that 66% of burglaries are carried out from the back garden? These two garden design plans show one that provides a haven for an opportunistic thief, and one that can help protect your home.

GARDEN 1 - A Burglar’s Paradise

1. The side gate at the edge of the house is positioned half way down the side of the house, providing welcome cover away from the view of passers-by for the burglar to gain access to the rear garden.
2. ‘Stepping stones’ up to the first storey of the house or extension, where easy access can be gained through open windows. Here a wheelie bin offers an initial climbing support to the pergola positioned against the house wall.
3. The solid wooden pergola allows access to the two upstairs windows.
4. The pool fountain is surrounded by stones. An attractive feature, but loose rubble or garden tools can be used to break windows.
5. Similarly, the pots positioned by the windows can also be used to break them.
6. The bricks left lying about at the far side of the house could also be used to force entry through doors and windows.
7. Ornamental railway sleepers, that retain a side border, may be used by burglars to batter down doors.
8. The shed containing tools is located under a tree with overhanging branches, offering protection and cover to a thief breaking into the shed.
9. The overhanging tree on the boundary of the property can assist the thief to climb over the fence.
10. The fence is 1.8m high and solid enough to climb over. No additional deterrent has been added.
11. The timber walkway allows the thief to approach unobserved, and it also provides a handhold to climb over the neighbour’s fence.
12. Sparse planting gives a thief a clear view of the garden and household.
13. A mulch of bark is a good way to smother weeds, but will not retain footprints in the same way as soil.
14. Stone paving enables the thief to approach the house silently.

GARDEN 2

Some Simple Tips to Improve the Security

1. The prime entry point to the rear garden, the side gate, has been moved to the front of the house where it is now in view. A lock has been added. A wrought iron gate is recommended, as it provides a good view of the garden while being difficult to scale.
2. The wheelie bin is hidden from view behind a trellis screen.
3. Lush planting screens the house from view.
4. Automatic light sensors have been installed.
5. The shortest route from the rear garden is blocked.
6. Loose stones have been removed from the water feature.
7. Gravel is used around the plants by the windows.
8. The railway sleepers are now bolted together and not easily moved.
9. The pergola is set away from the house.
10. The shed has been relocated and an alarm has been fitted.
11. A mulch of sand is around the shed, which will show a thief’s shoe prints.
12. Valuable garden pots are chained together. You could also consider a ‘Garden Sitter’ sensor that reacts to movement.
13. The tree is planted further into the garden so less overhangs the fence.
14. Thick shrub planting makes it difficult for the thief to move around the garden.
15. All the fencing has been topped with decorative trellis cover.
16. Pockets of soil have been included to allow plants which self-seed to multiply.
17. The planting also includes a number of thorny shrubs.
Thorny climbers around windows will heighten the chances of a thief leaving evidence behind.

DEFENSIVE PLANTING - NATURE AS AN ALLY

Prickly or "hostile" plants will slow down or deter unlawful entry to your premises - and there's no need for unsightly signage, as with other types of man-made perimeter defences, because you can't sue Mother Nature for causing injury.

When planting up the boundaries of your property, consider
using any of the plants below. You can even put them under
vulnerable windows to prevent anyone getting near enough to
look inside.

• Pyracantha (Firethorn) - all varieties
• Prunus Spinosa (Blackthorn)
• Mahonia - all varieties
• Ilex (Holly) - aquifolium varieties
  

• Rose - climbing and rambling
  
• Ulex Europeaus (Gorse)
• Crataegus Monogyna (Hawthorn)
  
• Berberis - Ottawensis Superba,
  Stenophylla, Darwinii
• Hippophae Rhamnoides
  (Sea Buckthorn)
• Chaenomeles Japonica (Ornamental Quince)
• Rubus fruticosus (Blackberry)

Environmentally friendly crime reduction advice from Bedfordshire Police.

Hostile planting is intended to complement but not replace crime reduction measures such as locks,
alarms and lighting.