Adding to Your Home's Security

Shrubs can make a great decoration for your lawn, since they can add color and shape to something that is naturally flat and all one color of grassy green. Although shrubs are generally a great item from a decoration point of view, they should not be grown everywhere. One very important thing that you need to consider while you are taking care of this foliage is the home security of using shrubs.

Many people in the world today love their privacy. We go to great measures to insure that no one can see into our house, and sometimes even into our yard. Unfortunately, these measures can sometimes allow burglars to have easy access to our homes. Make sure that your shrubs do not create an easy hiding place for burglars, and you should also not have your shrubs covering up windows, since that makes an easy entrance for someone who wants to rob your home.

Another security issue you should consider with your shrubs is if they are blocking exterior lighting. While good lighting does not guarantee that no one will break into your house, it does act as a deterrent, since your neighbors can easily see what is happening in your yard. If your shrubs are covering up the lights, then burglars have a great place to sneak through.

One other security risk is if your foliage creates easy access to your second floor. You should trim back any trees or shrubs that might make it easy for the burglar to get onto any balcony or through upper windows, since these are more likely to be unlocked and are less likely to be watched by neighbors.

Finally, there is one thing that shrubs can do to help your home security. If you are trying to decide what kind of shrubs to plant, consider thorny shrubs. Thick, thorny rose bushes act as a great deterrent for sneaking through, and using these bushes on your side could help keep at least part of your house safe.