Expensive oak or pinegardenfurniture can be the target of "opportunistic" thieves, a financial expert has warned.
John Potter, director of the Saga Group, explained that people often do not consider the full value of items in their gardens.
He emphasised that "even the more modest gardenfurniture sets can cost hundreds", and continued: "For many people it is not an option to put their gardenfurniture away on a daily basis, which of course makes it a target for opportunistic thieves."
Mr Potter said: "The increase in the number of garden programmes shows the huge appetite for gardening that is developing in society today."
According to the Target Group Index (TGI) from April 2006 to March 2007, over one million people in the UK spend an annual amount of £150 on plants.