Landscaping can be used to improve your home security by thoughtfully concealing or exposing different parts of your property, deliberately placing obstacles that direct or “funnel” foot traffic or vehicles, and using discomfort to prevent unauthorized access.

A well-designed and properly maintained landscape can significantly contribute to the security and privacy of your home. Intruders are less likely to target a home with landscaping that makes it difficult to approach or hide.

Think about your landscaping as layers or perimeters that create a series of open spaces and barriers between your private home and the public world, from the boundaries closest to your home to those at the furthest edge of your property. These layers might include a combination of walls, fences, hedges, shrubs, trees, rocks, barriers, obstacles, and structures.

Generally speaking, landscaping should be designed to obscure the more private areas of your home from any public viewing, and to expose the public approaches to your home. Consider seasonal changes to vegetation to ensure year-round concealment with evergreen foliage.

Overgrown trees and shrubs are excellent as an outer perimeter, but closer to your home, they can provide undesirable obscuration and concealment for intruders. Trim any bushes or trees that could obstruct the view from within your home to create an open perimeter close to your home, ideally no less than ten yards deep. If you have trees or bushes that block the view from your home outward into this open perimeter, burglars may be more likely to target your home because they know they will have less chance of being seen.

Landscape lighting will make it more difficult for intruders to hide and will also deter them from approaching your home. Always direct landscape lighting away from the home, to eliminate backlighting, and so that you have the best view from within the safety of your home itself. Many homeowners light their home itself for aesthetics, which is fine, but the final effect of the lighting should enhance your view from within the residence, not reduce it.

Water features like waterfalls or fountains can mask noise, making it easier for intruders to go unnoticed, but still or quiet water features can be used to discourage trespassing or deliberately direct foot traffic – a security technique called “funneling.” Raised garden beds and hedges also serve to effectively direct foot traffic along desired paths.

In contrast, paved paths, sidewalks, and driveways essentially create “freeways” of access into and around your property. Consider the use of decorative fences with gates to discourage or slow the progress of unauthorized persons attempting to transit your property.

Remember to consider the local climate, your property’s layout, and any zoning regulations or homeowners association guidelines when implementing these landscaping changes.

Lastly, be sure to keep your landscaping well-maintained. A well-maintained lawn and yard will make your home look occupied and attended to, and less likely to be targeted by burglars.