How to improve your garden’s security

May 29 2025

It’s reasonable to focus on your home when thinking about security, but our gardens can also be susceptible to theft. Securing your garden means protecting your shed, which can often contain expensive items like tools or bikes.

If you’re looking for some ideas and tips to bolster your garden’s security, our experts have put together this comprehensive guide to help you get started. Take a look at our wider collection of home security solutions including CCTV and outdoor cameras.

What do thieves look for?

Thieves can target garden items directly to steal, or use the garden to reach the house. Think about the different ways that a burglar can gain access and what they might take:

Through gates
Over the wall or fence
Concealment in hiding spots such as bushes
Items in plain sight that can easily be stolen

Security lighting

A lot of burglaries happen in the dark, so investing in a good outdoor security light is a great way to deter thieves. Not only do they illuminate the area, but it’ll also alert you of any unwanted visitors in your garden.

Garden maintenance

Keep your walls and fences in good condition, while also ensuring any gates are always locked. Burglars are opportunistic, so if your garden security seems hard to climb and your gate is secure, they might consider easier options and leave your garden alone.

Alarms

Consider investing in security alarms that cover your garden as well as the house. Your outdoor space is an extension of the home, so it should be treated as such in terms of keeping it secure.

Trellis panels and plants

Another way to put off opportunistic thieves is by installing trellis panels on the top of your fences and walls. Trellis, thorny plants like blackthorn, or anti-climb tools such as spikes make it difficult for anyone to climb them and get into your garden.

Low boundaries

Low walls and fences can be just as impactful to garden security as high ones. If an intruder gets past your protection measures, you want to give yourself the best chance of spotting them and alert the authorities in a timely manner.

Gravel paths

Adding gravel to your paths or driveways can act as an excellent layer of security. The stones achieve a similar effect to security lighting and alert you when someone is approaching your garden.

Use ground anchors

Ground anchors can help secure any garden furniture in place and make them much harder to steal.

Mark your items

In the unfortunate case that someone gains access to your garden, any items taken that are marked with your name and address can significantly help with recovery.

Thieves tend to sell things on for profit, so if they attempt to get rid of property that’s owned by someone else, it might make its way back to you.

Upgrade security after a burglary

Burglars often return to gardens and homes they know have weak security measures in place. If you’re unfortunate enough to have your garden broken into, make sure you improve your garden security afterwards.

Include outdoor property in insurance

Take a look at your insurance and make sure it covers items in your garden. This can help provide some peace of mind and get life back to normal if a burglary does occur.

With these ideas and tips at your disposal, you can make your garden a tougher place to trespass in. If you want to get a better idea of crime rates in your area, take a look with our Crime in my Area tool.