Lewis | March 3, 2015 | 0 Comments
The more and more I read the article this blog post will be based around, the more I believe it makes absolute sense! Allow me to explain…
Yesterday evening, an article came online from American broadcaster NBC outlining how the landscaping choices you can actually be tools for crime prevention. At a first glance, it may seem ludicrous: “how will the flowering plants in my garden stop a burglar?”, I may hear you ask. But much like our other cousins across the pond, the American author Sarah Bloom has been very innovative with her piece of journalism. You can check the original article here, where her report is documented in a short video – well worth a watch!
The idea of using landscaping as a crime prevention tool is actually quite simple, yet quite clever, when it is pondered on a little. In a previous blog post of ours, we were discussing leylandii, and the fact they were used as hedgerows to support privacy was touched upon. Hedges such as this are natural barriers, not only physically buy also psychologically, according to Bloom. In addition, these barriers can help others see something suspicious or out of place.
A very simple premise. It is also recommended that ivy, or another ground covering such as a vine. This is because, according to interviewed Cpl. Scott Gordon from the Chesterfield Police Despartment, Virginia: “If you have ivy, it kinds of leads people along the pathway to your house…If they cross the ivy and go into the backyard, you know there’s something going on.” Another tip to go with the above two is to have prickly bushes near low windows; as long as they aren’t big and overgrown, they can deter potential criminals from using that window as an entrance, for example.
So there you have it! A simply yet ingenious way to use landscaping as a crime deterrent, who would believe it?! The uses of landscaping seems to be never-ending to me! It keeps your house and those inside it safe and look good at the same time! What more could you want in a garden!
