You could offer them more seed-like poison ivy or stinging nettles

You could also say "there is no need to steal my seeds, go check out gardenweb! People there have seeds for postage all the time." Then dock their pay!

I can't believe you had a work person who actually knew that plants have seeds let alone how to collect them!

If the person does know then they should have the garden etiquette to ask you first.

When I saw the thread title I thought a four legged critter had eaten them.

Just a nervy two legged critter. :)

LOL i would have held out my hand and said thank you so much for picking my seed pods, now i can go ahead and trade these i suppose!! (and smiled), now that you have pulled them! and if they would have refused, i would have reminded them exactly WHOSE garden they got those seeds out of! "oh you should of asked if you wanted some, i might have been inclined to share with you, i'm not so inclined to share with a seed snatcher!!" and then simply smiled. :') Heee Heeee i have 4 legged critters here that thief!! LOL ~medo

Sorry you had a rude seed snatcher. I have a neighbor who had wonderful pansies she planted this year and a four o clock I gifted her that out performed my own. I made a point of asking her if it would be ok for me to collect if she wasn't going to. As for the four o clock when I went over she grabbed a baggie and I showed her how to do it herself and we split that day's seeds. I certainly intend to share more plants with her and am very excited to see how those pansies turn out.
It's always best to ask I think, at least in my case I get teased by my DH forever if I don't.

What's most upsetting about this person is that he didn't even seem to know that he was doing something inappropriate. Not even an apology when he was caught. And to think these are the parents of tomorrow's children.

Yes, newbie, this work person had been here twice before and I was aware that they were a gardener. Something that created an instant connection. So it was all the more disappointing that a fellow gardener would not respect my garden.

medo....that would have been a good way to respond, I wish I had thought of it. [g]

I forgot to add, that as this person was getting ready to leave, they took out a dried corn on the cob to show me from their car, that they had apparently snatched from somewhere else. It would have had to have come from a vegetable garden. He looked a little disappointed that I wasn't thrilled for him.

Oh well. :-)

On the other hand since this person is comfortable helping themselves to your seeds, perhaps a visit to their garden might be fair play and who knows, you may find something you would really like to have. Just a thought...

Mary

Maybe new to seed saving and or really broke...

Kill em with kindness..hand them a baggie of seeds w/ the seed saving etiquette attached and tell em the truth.

" I was mad you took my seeds w/ out asking. Please do not do it again. I appreciate the enthusiasm but ASKING is the right way"

This person apparently didn't think they were doing anything wrong or they wouldn't have stuck the seeds in their pocket while you were standing there. I think you need to be very blunt so they won't be out there with a shovel next time. Explain that some of your seeds and plants have much sentimental value and they should ALWAYS ask first if they want something.

Manners? You expect MANNERS?!!!

Good luck!

The younger people today mainly seem to whine and beg for what they want, then just steal it.

Of course, you could say, "I don't give away seed, I trade. So what have you got that I might want?"

Sigh. Trash even among plant people. Who would have thought it would come to this?

Sue

I think I'd find a polite, but direct way to address it...something like
"oh, hey, I meant to ask you the other day when you were selecting some seeds from my garden...I'm ok with sharing them- if you could just ask next time since I do save & trade a lot of my seeds with a group that I belong to, also some of them don't make a lot of seeds, or I'd like them to reseed in place, so I like to make sure I have some for the following year...anyway, what I'm getting at is if you could just double-check with me next time. And I wonder if you have something in your own seed stash that I might be interested in for a trade?"

I wouldn't have cared about the work. This person would have been fired and they would have known exactly why. Don't touch my flowers, their seeds or anything else that belongs to me without asking!

I have an embarrassing experience from the other side. There is a store here which has large tubs with the most beautiful flowers growing that I always admire. One day I parked near to take a walk in the neighborhood.
I saw some seeds of Pink Salvia, I thot, I should ask - then I thot - oh no one collects seed. Even a woman was walking toward me, and I thot, oh she probably doesn't work there.

So I took a couple of seed heads, and Yep, she said, "Please don't pick our flowers,", so I showed her I had seeds, not flowers, and she said, "We collect our seeds", so I apologized profusely and offered her back the seeds, which she said, "keep 'em".

So my plan is - I'm going to send her seeds of my red salvia, my blue, and my white, and Yvonne's salvia, and tell her the story of Yvonne's salvia, and of course tell her about WS'ing.

Hope this will make up somewhat for my rudeness!
Always ask!

I just haven't made up my mind if I should sign my name, or be anonymous - I'm still embarrassed.

ellen

Sign it:

"With egg on face,"
Ellen R

I've used this one several times (unfortunately, I've got practice in the open-mouth-insert-both-feet department)

Ellen, don't feel bad...You're not alone. I'm forever doing or saying something inappropriate. Sigh...

I'm no better, I was in a big box store. There were ripe seed heads hanging. I resisted the temptation to let the ripe seeds fall down my sleeve, but when my daughter picked out a plant she liked I deliberately cross pollinated it with every desirable color I saw. A pollen thief. So glad was I when she changed her mind at the last moment, I didn't prosper. There is no harmony in ill gotten game.
I'll settle for the little I have.
Still I'm positive those ripe seeds will be swept up at the end of the day and that is a shame.

MARY