VALLEY GARDENING r /
agains narden h
by Hannah Stephenson
garden valuables - or at least make sure they’re secure during the autumn and winter months. Insurers are advising people to
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make sure their garden sheds are locked, and encouraging them to install solid gates and outdoor security lights. "Gardens are often perceived as
the home's largest room - and easy targets for would-be thieves that can sometimes be overlooked when taking out home and contents insurance," says Margaret Slater, marketing manager at Congregational & General. "We want to highlight the
importance of checking cover, as many policies limit cover for contents in the open or contained in out buildings. "For example, some objects like the
latest 'must have' expensive tropical plants, or even Yorkshire stone paving, can be enticing to unwanted visitors - and may not be included in some policies." Bill Seddon, managing director of
garden security firm Gardien, says that despite a steady increase in garden theft in the past few years, people are learning very slowly about
S the nights start to draw in, it's time to put away your patio furniture and other
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1 I
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3 Stephen K Amos 5 Martin ‘Bigpig’ Mor
_ 6 Frog & Bucket 7 Grumpy Old Women
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the importance of securing their items and reading the small print on their insurance policies. "It’s not just the number of garden
thefts, but the variety of thefts that are on the increase, from basics like paving stones to high-end garden antiques, expensive shrubs and trees," he says. "Now's the time people are buying
expensive plants to plant in their garden, and they are the easiest things to lift." Sheds are regularly being raided
for their contents, which can be lucrative for thieves if you're storing bikes worth £1,000-plus. "People are putting them in sheds
which don't have proper locks on, and are then surprised when things go missing," says Seddon. "People housing expensive bikes
should be asking the question: 'Am I happy housing a £1,000 bike in a £200 shed?’" No item is too big for thieves to
snatch, he warns. Sit-on lawnmowers, large-scale garden furniture, huge barbecues and hefty garden ornaments have all been stolen. Thieves have even been known to roll up newly-turfed lawns and take them away to be sold on. Seddon's website at
www.gardien.
co.uk seils devices such as rootball anchors, which claim to protect plants against being stolen, as well as
heavy-duty shed locks, furniture anchors, metal sheds and security lights. It also has a customised
spreadsheet where you can make an inventory of the items you have and their value to find out how much your garden contents are actually worth. Most people find that they are
vastiy underinsured, says Seddon. "You may have to insure individual
items. Discuss it with your insurance company. It may mean a small increase in your premium, but it's worth it."" Make sure you check your
insurance policy and read the small print. Different policies have different
exclusions and limits - some insurers include garden cover as standard, others offer it as an additional extra. Exclusions might inciude plants in pots, which could mean your prize Japanese maple. Here are some measures you can
take to reduce the risk of your garden items being stolen: ■ Plant some prickly hedges such
as pyracantha, holly or hawthorn to deter thieves and add sturdy trellis to fence panels to make fences more difficult to climb over. ■ Install a low-cost gravel driveway
or path so that you can hear visitors approaching, take pictures of valuable items in case they are stolen, and write your postcode on items such as barbecues with an ultra-violet pen so they can be tracked. ■ Get a decent lock for your
garage or shed, buy some cheap blinds so opportunists can't see what's inside, and invest in motion- sensitive security lights. ■ If you have a gate to your
garden, fix a good lock and keep it locked - making it as hard as possible for intruders to enter. ■ Encourage your neighbours to
check around your property and keep an ear out for any unusual or unexpected noise from your home or garden when you are away.
"Take a walk around your garden
and think like a thief," says Seddon. "Look at what's valuable, what’s lying around, and don't fall into the trap of thinking it's too heavy to steai. Thieves waik away with tons of equipment. List what you’ve got and what it would cost to replace."
Best of the bunch - Chinese
Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) This spreading, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial has
shallow drills and cover with cloches. ■ Pick pumpkins, leaving them in
the sun for several days or putting them in a greenhouse if it’s raining, and let them ripen and dry off before being put into storage. ■ Sow hardy annuals such as
cornflowers and poached eggplants outside for flowering next year. ■ Give hedges a final trim. ■ Plant bearded, beardless and
bulbous irises in prepared sites. ■ Cut back the stems of Jerusalem
7 Paul Chowdhry - Made in Englistan Special
7 Norman Prince* 8 Tom Wrigglesworth
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10 Phil Walker & Brendan Riley 11 Billy Pearce & Duncan Norvelle 12 Roy 'Chubby' Brown 12 Johnny Casson* 13 Made in Englistan 14 Jimmy Carr 15 Ed Byrne 15 Cannon & Bair 17 Circus Of Horrors 20 The Lancashire Hotpots 20 Russell Kane
21 Al Murray - The Pub Landlord
insignificant creamy bell-shaped flowers in midsummer before inflated, papery 5cm lanterns emerge which turn from green to beige and then orange-red in autumn. They are great for including in
flower arrangements, and should be cut and then dried for winter
decorations. Plants grow to about 60- 75cm tall and 90cm across, but spread by suckers and need to be kept in check if you don't have much room. They prefer full sun in any well- drained soil, although they will tolerate light shade.
What to do this week ■ Improve grass growth by
topdressing the lawn, spreading a mix of sharp sand, good garden soil and sieved compost over the lawn with the back of a rake. ■ Sow winter lettuce seeds in
artichokes. ■ Prepare to insulate your
greenhouse using bubble wrap or other polythene material, keeping ventilators free to air the area if necessary. ■ Reduce the watering and feeding
of all greenhouse plants. ■ Stop feeding permanent plants
in pots such as shrubs and trees. ■ Continue to plant winter and
spring bedding, such as polyanthus, into gaps left by cleared summer annuals. ■ Prune repeat-flowering old-
fashioned shrub and species roses, other than those grown for hips, when the last flush of flowers is over. ■ Continue to feed fish in your
pond until the weather breaks. ■ As greenhouse crops come to an
end, pull them out and replace them with overwintering tender perennials.
BlACI^BURfSj DarweN
22 Jason Manford
* Act to be he/d at Oarwen Library Theatre
m p theatre ,? I I T e ii§ ^!? p h
King George’s Hall Box Office: 0844 847 1664
www.kinggeorgeshall.comwww.blackburncomedyfestival.com
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BLACKBURN the Valley 19
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