Security
Secure your boundaries
High rear fences or dense thorny hedges provide a good barrier to thieves. Make sure your gates and fences are not easy to climb. Adding a strip of flimsy trellis on top is a good deterrent.

Front boundaries should be low so that thieves cannot conceal themselves. One of the best deterrents is a gravel path or driveway that is very noisy when walked over. For more security ideas, see Security Tips.

Secure your contents
Good lighting, activated by a passive infra-red device (PIR) that detects movement or body heat, is almost as good as a guard dog!
Sheds are vulnerable to theft. Install good quality locks - the ones that come with the shed are rarely robust enough. Reinforce your shed with a steel plate inside the door, bolted through with coach bolts. Reinforce the door jamb if necessary.

Leave ladders chained to a fixture so they cannot be used by thieves. Valuable garden plants, statues and garden furniture should be marked with your house number and postcode and secured in place with sturdy chains cemented into the ground.

Vulnerable plants can be anchored into the ground using plant anchors or long wire hooks. Bury chicken wire a few inches deep around the plant to prevent them from being dug out.

Tip: Check your home insurance cover for garden contents and up your cover if necessary.