Landscaping for Home Security

Posted on 6/8/2021

Each year, there are more than a million home burglaries in the United States. While exterior security cameras for your home are one of the best ways to deter thieves, your landscaping can also go a long way in protecting you from break-ins. Here’s how.

Keep Your House Visible

One of the most important factors that can make or break your home as a burglary target is its visibility, both from the street and from your neighbors’ homes. If your home is mostly obscured from view, it can be easy to sneak onto the property unnoticed, and there’s a lower chance that suspicious activity will be reported by neighbors or passersby.

Of course, you do want to maintain some privacy—so strategically planning your home security landscaping landscaping can help you strike an optimal balance. Start by trimming hedges, bushes, and other shrubbery around your home to a maximum height of three feet, as smaller plants provide less opportunity for thieves to hide while scoping out your home.

You should also remove or cut back any large trees or plants that obscure the view of your windows and doors. Burglars and porch pirates will be less likely to target your home knowing these points of entry are highly visible.

Be Mindful of What You Keep Close

While large boulders, trellises, and fountains can be beautiful accents around your home’s exterior, they can also be used as step ladders for prowlers looking to slip into a second-story bedroom window.

Don’t make it that easy for them to get into your home! When landscaping to protect your home, move any large features (such as large stones or oversized planters) far enough away from your house that they cannot be useful to a would-be burglar. For climbing plants, consider a free-standing trellis in the yard rather than installing one against your house.

And after you’ve been working on landscaping or outdoor cleanup, always remember to put ladders away promptly.

Select Plants for Security

Just as a plant’s size could be detrimental to your home security, certain plant types may help improve it. For shrubs or bushes against your home, particularly those below windows, choose sharp, thorny varieties to deter burglars. Amateur thieves may not consider this hazard before they approach—but one tangle with a prickly plant can be enough to send them on their way. A rose or holly bush can be an attractive way to boost your home security, especially against crimes of opportunity.

Add Exterior Lighting

While most home burglaries happen during the day—when the house is most likely to be empty—exterior lighting can provide added protection and peace of mind at night. Hopefully, you already have a porch light by your front door, but you should also take a look at your property after the sun goes down, identifying any dark corners or shadowy spots that could benefit from a little illumination.

Enhance your landscaping by integrating lighting along walkways and pathways; solar lights are a great choice for this application as you don’t have to worry about remembering to turn them on or check their batteries. For broad areas, such as the driveway, motion-activated floodlights may be a better choice.

Keep Landscaping Neat

Whatever your style, keeping your lawn and shrubbery tidy helps your home appear lived-in and cared for. Thieves are more likely to target your home if it seems that you’re away on vacation—e.g., if newspapers and mail are piling up, and your grass is getting long. If you will be away for an extended period, schedule a lawn service, and ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect your mail. Otherwise, get mowing!