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Theft of Patio Planters and Containers

How can you secure patio pots to concrete to prevent them from being stolen

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  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    According to Bob Flowerdew, 'A simple security device is to drill an extra hole in the base of the pot and fit this with a bolt and large washers to a chain, fitted in turn to another bolt set in concrete under the pot. For very valuable plants, you can fix plastic covered steel cable within the roots when they are repotted'



    The plastic cable is fitted to the chain as well.



    Doesn't sound that simple to me, and I'm sorry as it sounds like you are having problems with theft.



    I take it there's not an option to make your patio more secure?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    Intruder alert lights.  A video camera to catch them at it.  Secure the access to your patio with locked gates.   Attach them to the ground as in the post above.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • blackestblackest Posts: 623

    Tricky, if you can make them heavy enough then it might help. keeping them well watered should help with that. You could chain them up but somehow that seems worse.

    I guess you could bolt a pot to the concrete fasten it down and then fill it. A masonary bit might be able to drill the pot or shatter it ...

    I think the best thing is cheap pots and cheap plants at least then the loss is minimal.  Locating hanging baskets out of arms reach may help too. Unfortunately theres no cure for idiots. 

  • LilylouiseLilylouise Posts: 1,013
    Maybe have fewer but larger pots which will be heavier and less attractive to steal.i have some of my fairy ornaments in our front garden containers and I always wire them to something e.g the base of the standard fuchsia. I have a basket tree with 4 baskets so I wire them to the frame of the tree.

    Pam LL x
  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657
    Hi Pat what about a garage approach light, BandQ about ??12 anyone approaches the area you have set it to and the whole place lights up , usually used for garage driveways easy and cheap

    Good luck Alan
  • On a similar thread, someone, can't remember who, suggested supergluing drawing pins to the bottom of the pots.  Downside is you need to remember that too!

    We don't tend to have a problem with theft, as we have an elderly GSD/Collie cross, who sounds as though he wants to eat you from the other side of the door.  Trouble is, our normal postie made the mistake of giving him a fuss, now the dog thinks the postman is delivering his fuss, the fact that he has a parcel for me is immaterial.  Downside is dog will leave deposits on your lawn and can be expensive to look afterimage

  • Access to the back garden is through the house or garage so the back garden is OK. I have a very large pot in the front garden....OH has concreted this into position image

     

     

  • I had a window-box stolen from my front garden a couple of years ago and the thief clearly tried to take one of my smaller pots as well but gave up and only moved it a foot or so as it was far heavier than it looked - I had half-filled it with bricks before planting it up in the hope of this acting as a deterrent.  Unfortunately there wasn't enough depth to do the same with the window-box.  I've been reluctant to put window-boxes out since but took a chance last year and was OK and have just re-planted for this year.  I am now just keeping my fingers crossed.  One other thing: previously the front was just concrete and it was quick and easy to walk from the gate, grab the box and exit.  Since then I have had concrete removed and have planted it all up; consequently it would be less easy to access them and I'm hoping this may help.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Isn't it sad that we have this problem? At my last house the previous owners had a huge glazed terracotta pot with a spirea in it which was at the end of the patio. When we moved in we had a laugh as they'd obviously tried to move it and given up as it was abandoned about 10' from where it had been! We got the (rather dead!) spirea out and even then it took both of us to move it and I used it for various different plants throughout the year. Thieves would've had to be pretty determined to nick it!

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • It is most frustrating - I had a planter stolen early this morning.  After having some baskets "adopted" by a passing felon, I put out small terracotta pots, which were also removed, so I opted for bigger and heavier containers in the form of used wine crates.  Problem solved I thought, but evidently not!!

    Thank you Mummy Muddy Paws for the suggestion about the drawing pins - I'll definitely be giving that idea a try.

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