Being safe in your own home is probably just as important to you as anyone else. There are plenty of ways in which you can stay safe in your own home. For example, you could install a home security system, add sensor lights, and even a door alarm. However, one thing people tend to ignore when it comes to making their home safer is their landscaping. Landscaping plays a huge role in the safety of your home. Here are four ways in which you can ensure that your landscaping is truly keeping you safe:

1. Eliminate Hiding Spots: Although having a very lush and green yard may be great for privacy, it eliminates your neighbor's ability to see if anything might be going on. You want to be sure that your neighbors can call the police if necessary, especially should you be out of town or unable to call the police on your own. Regularly trimming trees and bushes on your property will help make this possible. It will also help to eliminate potential hiding spots for burglars. Your home will look less attractive to a burglar if they are too out in the open on your property and have a higher potential of getting caught. 
2. Prickly Protection: Taking advantage of prickly plants is another great way to protect your home from burglars. You want to plant these types of trees, bushes, and flowers along the side of the fence and even under window sills. These areas will help prevent the burglar from easily being able to climb through an open window or over the fence and will cause more disturbance since the burglar won't be able to be as quiet as they had hoped. 
3. Use Landscaping Stones and Water Features: In flower beds, you should consider using landscaping stones, which are much noisier to walk on. You can also install water features in certain areas that will prevent an intruder from easily be able to move through the yard to get to your home. These small barriers can provide an enormous amount of protection for your home.
4. Keep it Maintained: Keeping your landscaping well maintained not only eliminates hiding spots for potential intruders but it also shows that the homeowner is probably going to be present and keep their home well protected. Homes with tall grass, stacked up newspapers, and dead plants show that they home is possibly unoccupied, thus making it more attractive to thieves. 

By knowing how to use landscaping to your advantage for home security, you can be sure that your home is more protected, which is especially helpful if you cannot afford to install a home security system at the moment. For more ideas, talk to a professional like McDonald Garden Center.