When considering home security measures, the first things to come to mind are cameras, padlocks and a video doorbell. I’ll wager the plants in your garden haven’t occurred to you at all. But plants play a bit part in using your garden to help deter thieves.
The summer months are a prime opportunity for thieves, with burglaries increasing 25% in July and August, according to CCTV Aware. Ergo, it’s the most important time to make sure your home security measures are up to scratch, especially if you’re jetting off on holiday this summer.
Defensive planting is the process of deliberately growing plants that deter thieves from entering your garden. Now we can’t say these plants will stop your home from being burgled, but they will make it more difficult for thieves to gain access to your property.
These are three defensive plants experts recommend to help protect your home.
1. Pyracantha
Pyracantha, also known as Firethorn, is an excellent deterrent due to its needle-like thorns. What’s more, this climbing plant thrives in neglect and produces festive red berries, which nail the classic English country cottage look.
‘This is a very popular choice. This evergreen shrub has long, needle-sharp thorns and can be trained to grow as a dense, impenetrable hedge or climber against a wall or fence. It also produces attractive white flowers and bright red, orange, or yellow berries in autumn,’ explains Jonathan Coppock, security expert at PriceYourJob.co.uk.
You can buy Pyracantha at:
- Pyracantha Red Column, £7.99 at Gardening Express
- Pyracantha 'Star Trio', £19.99 at Thompson & Morgan
2. Berberis
Berberis is a great choice for your garden edges and is one of the best fast-growing hedges, so you don’t have to worry about the shrub taking years to establish itself - some varieties grow a whopping 60cm per year.
‘It's a good choice for boundary planting and preventing unwanted access due to its dense, thorny growth, which makes it difficult to push through,’ verify the experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk.
You can buy Berberis at:
- Purple Berberis 10/20cm 9cm Pot, £3.99 at Hedges Direct
- Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea, £31.99 at Crocus
3. Roses
In case you needed another reason to learn how to grow roses, these stunning flowers can also be an effective deterrent as, you guessed it, their spiky thorns are off-putting to potential thieves.
‘Many varieties of roses, particularly the vigorous and thorny climbing or shrub roses, can be trained to grow along fences or under windows. The sheer number of thorns creates a painful and difficult barrier to climb over or get through,’ explains Jonathan.
You can buy roses at:
- Strawberry Hill climbing rose, £33 at David Austin Roses
- Rose 'Handel' - Climbing Rose, £14.95 at Gardening Express
Defensive planting can give you added peace of mind when you're away that your property is secure. However, this method is best used amongst the best security measures like burglar alarms, smart security, lighting and even CCTV cameras.
A Ring doorbell is one of the easiest ways to keep an eye on your property when you're away from home. Just note you will need to sign up to the subscription service to have access to all the available features.
Blink is one of the other big names in the video doorbell world. It works with Alexa and also has a 30 day trial with the Blink Subscription plan.
Will you try planting a few of these thorny beauties in your garden?
