Protect your lawnmower!

If you don’t have a shed or garage, its important to have somewhere safe and secure to store your lawnmower, out of the sight of thieves. Here on shedforce we have spoken a lot about garden and shed theft in the recent months and it is still a continuing problem. Expensive lawnmowers and other electrical gardening equipment is a prime target for garden and shed theft, due to their high value. Recently there have been a spurt of shed break-ins in Stafford with thieves taking gardening tools and using them to break into houses.

In Nottingham a thief was caught on camera steeling a lawnmower that had been left outside a house in a front garden and even with the video footage, the owner of this lawnmower will be lucky to get her mower back. As you see from this article, even leaving your lawnmower unattended in broad daylight will put you at risk to theft.  Another lawnmower theft took place during the day in a garden in Londonderry. Unfortunately our gardens aren’t as safe as they used to be and police in areas all over the country are warning people to take more care.  Garden equipment needs to be locked up at all times when not in use, don’t give thieves the opportunity to strike.

Rural communities have also been warned by the police to protect their property, “It is important that people take responsibility for their property and making sure that shed and outbuildings are properly secured is a step in the right direction. Use good, strong locks to secure outer doors and even consider locking up items which are stored inside sheds and outbuildings. It is also a good idea to install outside security lighting which can act as a good deterrent to potential thieves. Another must to help prevent rural crime is to report any suspicious activity to the police so we can act upon it and build up a good picture of any on-going criminal activity” Sergeant John Clayton. See the full article here

The police know that no one is immune to theft and want to make sure everyone is looking after their property in best way. If you do not own a shed or a garage the only way to protect your equipment, other than keeping it in the house, is purchase a garden shed. There are a variety of different types of garden sheds on offer, from a range of retailers.

For security for your lawnmower and other electric gardening equipment, a range of secure metal lawnmower storage units are available from Asgard. Thieves will find these mower storage shed a challenge, as they are designed to keep them out! With security features such as pick resistant locks and tough locking systems Asgard metal sheds offer great security. See the full range on the website. 

British summer time is rubbish, no time to do the gardening!

It’s the time of year that everyone looks forward to…..summer. The British summer has never been the greatest, but the weather this year has left us all wondering if we are going to see much of the sunshine at all. April to June this year has been the wettest second quarter in the UK since records began and if the beginning of July is anything to go by, it is likely to continue. What does mean for our precious gardens? You've spent weeks choosing flowers, planting seeds, weeding and pruning, only for your garden to be submerged in water.  Or you've been putting off tackling the weeds and those overgrown bushes and now because of all the rain, your garden has turned into a jungle!

Like many people you may have purchased brand new garden furniture and instead of lounging in your new sun loungers or dining alfresco, you’re watching it get soaked through the dining room window. What do you do? Wait out the rain, or brave it?  Either way, here are a few tips to keep your garden in shape.

Brave the rain

• Pull up dandelions and thistles while the soil is wet, this way you stand a good chance of getting the root out in one piece.
• Rescue waterlogged pots, as potted plants can die if the compost becomes saturated. Rescue pots by removing trays from under them.
• Re-sow if necessary, as they may have rotted due to wet soils. Re-sow leafy and root crops when it gets a bit warmer, as they will still do their stuff this year.
• Get some wet weather clothes, walking jackets and trousers that are waterproof yet breathable work well.
• Plan a garden path, make this the last year you squelch your shed by putting in hard landscaped paths or steps, stepping stones, a gravel path or maybe something more ambitious.
• Make a list of which flowers do well after heavy rain? Start preparing for when the weather takes a turn for the better.

After the storm

• Remove rain-damaged or faded flowers. Not only will this make plants and your garden look better, it also encourages more flowers to grow.
• Pesky slugs and snails come out at night, protect young plants and seedlings from them.
• Weeds are thriving so pull them up before they set seed.
• Keep off the lawn as much as possible when the ground is sodden. You can make repairs in early autumn.
• If you experience flooding due to rivers bursting their banks, or broken drains releasing diluted sewage into the garden, this is potentially serious. Any crops covered in flood water should not be eaten.
• Don’t forget to store your gardening equipment and furniture in a waterproof shed, to stop your gardening equipment and furniture from going rusty or rotten. Check that your shed is free from leeks, this is especially important for electric gardening tools such as lawn mowers.

When the weather is as stormy as it has recently been, having a tough weatherproof shed or storage unit is important. For the best in weatherproof garden storage visit Asgard Secure Steel Storage.

Information from the Telegraph

Stop garden thieves!! The worst time of year for theft.

As we all know, acquiring all of our fancy gardening tools and equipment can be very expensive. So just imagine how you would feel, if someone came along and decided to help themselves. Not very happy I can imagine. Shed and garden theft isn’t a new phenomenon, however people think ‘it won’t happen to me’, unfortunately this is a crime which is on the rise all over the country.

In June, Blenau Gwent an area in wales had 23 garages and sheds burgled in just one month and of those 7 were said to be insecure or without sufficient security.  The crime and disorder reduction officer for the area, PC Paul Whittaker stated “It shows no sign of stopping despite attempts to tackle the problem. Power tools, gardening equipment and bikes appear to be the main target for thieves”.  Read more on this story>

In the same month, across Bath 22 garages and sheds were broken into and raided.  It’s not only homes that are the targets of these types of thefts, schools have become vulnerable too. Schools in Stamford and Worcester have also been affected by a number of shed burglaries, with playground toys and tools being taken.

As these items are kept outside, they are more susceptible to theft. Local police are reinforcing to communities the importance of keeping tools locked away securely and help them to keep these thieves at bay. In Somerset police are embarking on the  sheducation of the general public, offering advice on shed theft as well as cycle and car theft. A portable display will visit supermarkets and events during the summer, a time when shed thefts normally rise.

What can you do to prevent shed crime?

• Check that thieves cannot gain entry simply by removing boards from the sheds sides or rear. Alternative to a wooden shed, a metal shed is a great investment and has a much higher level of security than its wooden counterpart. As secure metal shed is a great deterrent to thieves. A wide range of high security and insurance approved metal security sheds and metal garages are available on the market.
• A good lock is the key to keeping pesky burglars out. Make sure your shed is always locked when not in use.
• Sheds with padlocks, will always be more vulnerable as they are easy to remove. A shed with an internal locking system will always be more secure than a padlock.
• Fit an alarm. Shed alarms are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and can be battery operated or mains powered.
• Opt for a shed without any windows. If you can see what’s inside, so can a thief.

For the best in garden security visit Asgard, with a wide range of tough, all metal security sheds in a variety of sizes available, burglars won’t stand a chance.

Information from This is bath, News Wales, Worcester news and Stamford Mercury