The majority of British householders have not ensured that their home insurance covers the plants in their gardens.
Britons should be protecting their greeneries with home insurance - but few are, according to M&S Money.
The firm conducted research which found that 17 percent of garden owners know someone that has been a victim of garden theft. Additionally, one in ten people said their gardens had been a victim of vandalism.
However, two-thirds of homeowners said they did not ensure that trees, shrubs and bushes were covered by their home insurance. This problem could prove expensive, as M&S Money claimed that the average garden features £721 worth of greenery.
"Householders often spend thousands of pounds securing their home to protect their family and property," said M&S insurance manager Judith Roberts. "However, despite the huge amount of time and money invested in many gardens, security levels are often very poor, making them an attractive target for thieves and vandals."
On top of including gardens on their home insurance policy, homeowners can take a number of steps to discourage thieves, Ms Roberts added. These included laying gravel on paths to make it difficult for intruders to be quiet, installing automatic security lighting and growing a thorny hedge around the garden.
