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Plant theft -- Has it happened to you?

12 years ago

Hi folks,

Saw this in the New York Times and while it does invoke a smile and a chuckle, I'm sure many of us can relate to this gardener's obvious irritation and frustration. Have you ever been a victim of middle-of-the-night, spade-wielding bandits? Or, perhaps, you've walked outside to find a few roses missing or caught someone taking a cutting of a prized hosta? After you've thrown up your hands and cursed a blue streak -- what did you do? And, if it hasn't happened, what would you do?

Tamara

GardenWeb Community Producer

Here is a link that might be useful: I'll get you, my pretty!

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Comments (4)

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years ago
I think our great dane would prevent anyone from considering a clandestine visit to our yard.

If I were to make a sign, it would mention the bear trap hidden 'somewhere' in the plot. Or maybe a sign about the garden being an "experimental test plot for pest management utilizing various trained snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions."

What does "community producer" mean?
christinmk z5b eastern WA
12 years ago
I have a small plot of garden out by the alley that I used in the past as a veggie garden, before making a raised bed in another area for it. Well back then the area by the alley had blocks around it, but no fence. One day I went out there to find someone had ripped out several of my small zucchini plants! I put up a three foot wire (like come in rolls from Lowes) fence after that. Last year on the Fourth of July I went out there to find someone had bent over part of the wire fence and knocked over a bean pole to get at a rhubarb plant I have back there. They had taken many of the stalks and left the leaves all over the area. It feels like such a violation to have someone come on your property and do that, even if it was just rhubarb they took. At least I have some consolation in knowing that the rhubarb stalks were very large and old. So whatever The Thief made out of that rhubarb turned out terribly stringy ;-)
CMK
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I have had this happen I am kinda relieved to find that it has happend to someone else. They keep taking the same plants, almost like they couldnt get the first to take so come back at a later time to take more. They keep taking it from a spot where I have been trying to get it to take off also. They dont even replace the dirt just leave me big holes. What nerve of people how rude. Heck you knock on my door and ask I would be more than happy to give from a spot I pick. I dont know what to do we are in a small town so I doubt the police would do anything. I dont think it is anyone that lives around me currently. If I had to guess I would say that it was someone that use to live in the area, who knows. For all I know it may be my mother in law, if it was I would really love to catch her. Some people are just very brassy it just amazes me.
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It DOES stink to have to even think that people would make off with your plants, nothing has happened - yet. I only thought of it because this potted Intrigue was blooming and I knew around Mother's Day is high plant theft time. All my other "good" roses are in my tiny townhouse garden in back, it amuses me to think of someone trying to come over the fence in the dark - I have run lateral climbers along the top of the fence and I really hope any burglar will run smack into the thoroughly vicious Englantyne, with her thorny octopus canes (: That said, I dream of the day I retire to some small town out in the country where I can line my lot with the thorniest rugosas I can find - and get all those hips in the fall....and get some big dogs too. Where I work, we have even had plants from the office vanish!
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Yes, this kind of thing goes on all the time. If you search you may be able to bring up past threads of interest. Here we have salt water views that result in entire trees being cut, without permission. There was even a judge that got in well-publicized trouble for having park land logged so he could see better, in a city east of Seattle. In recent years I've been the recipient of unauthorized gardening from both back neighbors, too bad our fence is not higher. Doubtless they have thought they were entitled to invade our space because our back area does not fit their concepts of adequately maintained property. The one party in particular are real yardeners, with mostly bark mulch and grass. At one point I saw they had a hybrid rhododendron sheared into a tight rectangle. After I pointed out the property line marker and asked them to stop reaching past it and cutting on our shrubs, it got worse.
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I haven't had anything stolen, but one year when I planted some dahlberg daisies in the corner of my property, someone whacked them down to the ground. I strongly suspected it was the lawn company hired by the neighbors. These plants weren't in the ground for a week and they got whacked. I think I was more upset at the time I spent planting them more than the cost of them because they're annuals and I had a nice sized patch of them planted there. I would really be ticked off if someone stole a plant I just put out or that I've had for a length of time. okokok - If there is a Big Lots near you, check there for one of those clear green glazing balls. I have seen that color at their store in the past. Not sure what they have now because they're always getting new stuff in, but they have sold gazing balls before and they're pretty reasonable. I see them in their store almost every spring or summer.
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wieslaw59
12 years ago
It happened to me . Somebody pulled up one of my newly planted daylilies, covering up the hole, so I did not notice it to start with . I was really surprised, because I had no idea who it might have been.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
12 years ago
Absolutely it has happened. One day, I planted a Zebrina Hollyhock that I had bought that day for eight dollars. The next day, I went out to my garden and couldn't find it! I thought maybe I was looking in the wrong spot but no, I saw a flat to the ground stumpy area that was the remains of the hollyhock.
Since I have many perennials and flowering shrubs I thought it strange that a RABBIT would single out one plant that was wildly tasty and delicious and of course, brand new.

Thankfully, I have not had 2 legged thieves but the four legged and flying do just as much damage.

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