Garden security

copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011

In the UK we spend £4 billion annually on our gardens. As the recession bites, people invite friends round for a barbecue or lunch in the garden in summer, rather than eat out. When we are unable to go on holiday, research shows that we spend money on our gardens, in order to maximise their use.

The Association of British Insurers says that 1 in 7 gardens are now hit by theft. It is a sad fact of life that those expensive toys, tools and exotic plants are being targetted by thieves.

It seems essential therefore, to try to protect our property and that means designing in security measures when planning a garden rather than retro-fitting them after losing plants and tools.

Thinking about this in relation to the Coastal Gardening Society, I want to liaise with Kent Police and Sussex Police to get someone to talk to members about garden security, quite early on.