How to Improve Home Security with Landscaping

We all worry about the security of our property, our home, and especially our family. Your home is your castle. It's where you store your valuables, have the privacy to be yourself, and live with your loved ones. Making your home as safe and secure as possible is always a priority. There's the traditional home security features, like alarms and cameras, but why stop there when you can add extra layers of security in less obvious ways?

Something else most homeowners care about is their landscape. Landscaping is usually thought of as strictly a visual element to increase curb appeal, but it can also serve practical roles, including security. That's right, you can improve your home security by strategically landscaping your yard!

Today we're going to share some practical ideas and tips on how to landscape your property for better home security! And no, it doesn't involve ugly security fences or blinding floodlights. Don't decrease curb appeal to increase security! If anything, these tips will actually make your landscape even more beautiful while discreetly adding to the security of your home.

Landscaping for home security has multiple benefits. You're improving your home security, and you're improving your property's landscaping which in turn can increase property value. Here's a video of Terry McNair sharing some tips about landscaping for home security. Watch it and then we'll go into further detail below.

Improve Security with Plants

First, we'll discuss how plants can help you secure your home. There are several ways to use plants in your landscape to improve home security. You can add certain plants to make areas difficult to access and create barriers. How you maintain your plants can also affect your home security.

Trim to Eliminate Hiding Spots

Having overgrown bushes around your property creates natural hiding spots. If they are right up next to the house, it can provide cover for potential thieves to break in without the risk of being seen. They can also hide in bushes to ambush you when you're coming home at night or leaving in the morning.

​If you have tree limbs hanging over the roof of your home, these can provide access to second story windows if you have any. These limbs should be trimmed away from the house.

Trimming the limbs that are close to your house will also reduce the chance of home damage during storms. Large limbs could fall and damage your roof in heavy storms, high winds, or if struck by lightning. Overhanging branches also provide pests with a direct route to your roof where they can look for ways into your attic.

Plant Bushes with Thorns

Placing thorny plants and bushes strategically around your property is a great way to improve home security. These plants create a natural form of barbed wire, but are much more visually appealing than actual barbed wire.

​​If you want to have plants near windows or other potential access points, using thorn bushes and thorny shrubs are the way to go. The sharp thorns keep prowlers from easily getting up close to these areas. Don't leave a gap between the bush and the wall of the house when using them like this though. Having a gap big enough to squeeze past the thorns will completely negate the protection they offer. In fact, it will make the plant perfect for concealing what someone may be doing at your window from the view of the street or neighboring houses.

You can also plant thorny shrubs around the base of trees that could potentially be climbed to see into windows, get over fences, or access the roof.

Even bushes with thorns should still be kept properly pruned and trimmed short enough to be below the bottom of windows they are blocking. They could still potentially be hiding spots as we discussed above, especially if they are allowed to become heavily overgrown. 

Install Landscape Lighting

​Low voltage landscape lighting is an elegant and effective outdoor lighting option for your property. Unlike floodlights, landscape lighting systems look great while also improving home security.

Landscape lighting will provide illumination around your house so that you don't have to come home in the dark. It also eliminates the cover of darkness that prowlers might use to hide themselves. Landscape lighting systems are low-voltage lights, so they won't run your electric bill up. You can also set the time when your landscape lights automatically turn on and off.

Many landscape lighting systems offer additional controls and functionalities. Systems with color control options allow you customize the color of your landscape lighting. Smart controllers with wireless connectivity allow you to control your landscape lights with an app on your smartphone. That means you can manage your lighting system anytime and from anywhere in the world; as long as you have an internet connection!

If you don't have the budget for a complete landscape lighting system, there are some cheaper options for outdoor lighting. Solar powered garden lights are a good budget-friendly option. While not as elegant as landscape lighting systems, they are still more visually attractive than regular floodlighting. Solar powered garden lights can be placed individually around the yard where lighting is needed. You can also move them to a new spot easily.

Add Rocks or Gravel to Pathways

Using rocks or gravel to create pathways will increase the noise caused by someone walking on the path. You can use small egg rock stones with large flagstones to create a stepping stone style pathway. Place edging along the sides of the path to keep all the rocks in the path area.

​When someone walks down the path, they will likely kick and crunch rocks, creating noise. This is an easy, inconspicuous way of improving your home security. 

Keep Your Property Maintained

Aside from eliminating hiding places by trimming bushes, keeping your property maintained overall is important to keeping your home secure. Having a well maintained yard shows that the property is occupied and cared for. If your house looks like it isn't occupied for several months out of the year, criminals may think they can get away with breaking in during that time.

If you live next to a public area, such as a park or a public sidewalk, keeping your yard well maintained can also help clearly define your property lines. This will help prevent people from unknowingly crossing onto your property by accident. It also reduces a trespasser's ability to claim they didn't realize they were on private property.

We know that home security is important to everyone. These tips are a few ideas to help you improve the security of your property through landscaping!

If you live in Middle Georgia around Macon or Warner Robins; let us know if we can help you plan and/or install a landscape that focuses on the security of your property and looks beautiful doing it! You can get a free consultation and estimate for your landscape installation project at the link below.

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