There are plenty of jobs to do around your home before you go on vacation. Apart from essential pre-holiday checks, such as inspecting your plumbing, and yard maintenance chores to keep your garden thriving while you’re away, there are a few security measures to take care of.
While you might have already invested in smart security devices to keep tabs on your house while you’re on vacation, including the best security cameras and smart locks, there are a few aesthetic ways that you can improve your home security. What’s more, there’s no tech involved.
Vacation season is prime time for intruders
According to burglary statistics by Safe and Sound Security, July and August are the peak months for home burglaries, with a 10-15% increase due to open windows, vacation travel, and extended daylight hours that facilitate daytime break-ins. And 79% of break-ins occur through doors and first-floor windows. While quality locks and secure windows can deter intruders, there’s also a natural way to put them off.
The eco-friendly method to defend your home
“A few well-placed thorny plants can be as effective as any security measure, and much better looking too,” says Miya Kelly, Outbuildings Specialist at Garden Buildings Direct.
What’s more, Kelly adds, “Defensive planting is one of the most natural and low-cost ways you can secure your garden, while giving wildlife a home."
“With a bit of strategic positioning along garden boundaries, under windows, or near potential access points, you can create a barrier that’s both visually appealing and a burglar’s worst nightmare.”
So, before you head off on your summer vacation, consider the extra security that prickly plants can offer to keep your home safe while you are away.
Here, Kelly recommends seven spiky plants that will create a yard-friendly security barrier against intruders to protect your home, garage, and outbuildings from thieves.
1. Hawthorn
“Thanks to their dense, thorny branches, Hawthorn hedge plants are excellent intruder deterrents and difficult to penetrate,” says Kelly, “They also provide a year-round habitat for wildlife.”
What’s more, the flowers that grow in clusters are highly scented, and once pollinated, they develop into deep red fruits known as ‘haws’.
2. Blackthorn
Similar to Hawthorn, Kelly says that Blackthorn is dense with thorny branches, which makes it extremely tough to get through and a very effective barrier against humans and animals trying to cross property lines. In the U.K. and northern Europe, it’s often used as cattle-proof hedging.
You may know this prickly shrub as sloe, where the fruits of this flowering shrub are used to make gin. It can be grown as a large deciduous shrub or as a small tree, but as a defensive plant, it’s best grown as a shrub.
3. Holly
“Holly forms an excellent barrier and privacy screen,” advises Kelly, “With its evergreen, sharp, spiny-edged leaves, it can deter both animals and potential thieves.”
Apart from providing a physical barrier, holly is also grown for its decorative red berries, although they are toxic to humans and animals.
4. Pyrancantha
I remember my parents planting a pyracantha hedge at the front of their yard, and I can still recall the bright orange berries that adorned the dark green shrub.
It’s another plant that Kelly recommends for defense against intruders. “With long, needle-sharp thorns on its dense branches, pyracantha is excellent for a trellis or wall.”
And although my parents had a specimen with orange berries, you can also find them with red or yellow pomes. You can expect it to grow up to 15 feet, but it can be pruned back to form a lower hedge, just be sure to use a clean and sharp pair of pruning shears. And for thick branches, you'll be best off using anvil pruning shears rather than bypass pruning shears.
5. Berberis
Kelly recommends Berberis as a good choice for boundary planting, as it will prevent unwanted access due to its dense, thorny growth, which makes it difficult to push through.
While it will keep out unwanted intruders, including deer, you can enjoy a colorful array of leaves, ranging from chartreuse greens, bright yellow, orange/reds, and purple/blacks. It’s a good option if you are after a low-maintenance shrub, as it requires little pruning.
6. Rose
Rather than entice you in, roses can also be grown to keep intruders at a distance. “With stems armed with thorns, roses planted densely can create a difficult barrier, while climbing roses are perfect for a trellis, making a painful deterrent over fences and around gates.”
When planted around doors and windows, thorny roses can help to deter opportunist thieves from breaking in. What’s more, you benefit from a beautiful display of blooms and a delicate scent.
7. Mahonia
If you’re looking for a stunning plant that doubles as a deterrent, you can’t go wrong planting mahonia. Kelly says its sharp, spiky leaves and thick growing habit make it difficult for intruders to penetrate.
What’s more, you’ll be able to enjoy this structural, evergreen shrub with shiny dark green leaves and spikes of bright yellow flowers, which are followed by purple berries, which you can expect it to grow to 10 feet after 10 years.
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