Homework: Landscaping for security
Roses crawling on the walls of a house . (Fotolia Photo) ltc Credit: Fotolia Photo/
Thieves aren't typically a leisurely bunch. They're opportunistic, often taking advantage of quick and easy access to homes. Your job is not only to slow them down, but to make your home so inconvenient to rob that they won't even bother trying. While razor wire would get the job done, the trick is to do this without compromising the beauty of your home and its curb appeal. What you are looking for is a delicate balance between a welcoming house and a secure one. If you're concerned about your home's safety, you should consider getting creative with your landscaping. Here are six easy ways to protect your home with plants:
1. Plant thorny shrubs along your home's foundation.
The thornier, the better. A good spot for them is under your home's windows. Consider Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), an attractive gold, burgundy or variegated green-and-ivory plant with spines that stick like the dickens. Or roses, which are notorious for their prickles. Knockout roses are among several good landscape rose choices that bloom all season long and can be pruned to a desired height. And they're prickly all year round, even after their leaves have fallen.
2. Consider foliage.
Thorns and prickles aren't the only painful deterrents. Some leaves can thwart break-in attempts, as well. Oregon grape holly
(Mahonia aquifolium) and holly (Ilex) shrubs have spiny leaves that may require a suit of armor to traverse.
3. Trim tree limbs.
Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a very thorny shrub that can be planted strategically to thwart would-be burglars. Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden/
Don't allow tree branches to grow close to the second story of your house. Thieves can climb trees to gain access through an upstairs window just as easily as they can climb a ladder.
4. Privacy hedge or a clear view?
Although you value your privacy, an exposed house is safer than one whose view is blocked from the street by tall trees and shrubbery. A wall of trees that blocks your neighbors from seeing your backyard dinner party also will block them from seeing a would-be thief trying to break down your door, and burglars know it.
5. Maintain the lawn regularly.
Arrange for it to be mowed while you're away on vacation. Just like newspapers piled up in the driveway, an unkempt lawn signals to burglars that you're out of town.
6. Go vertical.
A trellis installed on the exterior wall of your home can make it difficult to access a second floor from the outside, especially if a thorny climbing rose scales its height. This can be most useful in secluded areas that don't face the street or a neighbor's house -- places that otherwise might tempt a burglar to pull up a ladder.
A climber will take a few years to mature, and once the prickly branches reach the second story, you can even train it to grow around windows.
To speed up growth, apply one-half cup of Epsom salts around the base of each climbing rose every spring and scratch into the soil. A monthly dose of fish emulsion during the growing season not only will encourage healthy growth, but its odor may serve to further repel would-be intruders, too.
