Robin, I am so sorry about this for you! No, I don't think a lot of parents do teach their kids about stuff like this. I think that everybody in my neighborhood would know about it if it had been done to me. I would scream, holler and probably throw in a few bads words just to make me feel better! I would feel exactly like you do, that somebody had my babies! I've been thinking about growing gourds along our property line but wondered if they would safe. Apparently not. I hope you feel better soon.

Sandra

I don't have any gourds but I feel the same way every time the neighboring children head into my yard to cut whatever happens to be blooming at the moment. My roses, hoyas, and various other plants often fall prey to the hands of pesky kids.

I wish I knew of a beautifully flowering plant that made kids itchy, and get rashes. I'd plant it right at the front of my border next season :) Just kidding... but it would be fun.
-Thirston

You could always put some nettles in among your plants...they are harmless but unpleasant! And in the spring you can eat them too....Not as fun as giant gourds but maybe it would deter the little blighters! I used to have trouble with people picking flowers from the front of the house - one afternoon I went out and found two teenage girls picking the last of a stand of around 30 Narcissus "salome." Now I live in a sort of a "secret garden" at the end of a long path behind a gate locked at the street with a big fence. Maybe I should start growing gourds!

Roblkey, I am so sorry this happened to you.

I live by a school and get lots of kids walking by but no plant theft as of yet, however my mailbox takes a beating.

If i am ever to find kids picking my flowers that they would be giving them to a loved one and not just thrown in a ditch half way home, or i would be on the ball enough after the initial shock and say "you are welcome to my flowers on one condition, if you help me in my garden and your mom or dad says its OK.
My parents didn't garden or plant any flowers ever, thank goodness my neighbor down the street had a little greenhouse and enjoyed the company of a kid. I'll be darned the delphiniums I bought from her 17 years ago, still bloom at my dads house and I have the worst luck with them in my own yard! She got me started in this love of gardening, so you just never know, those pesky kids might love your garden more than you know.

in roblkeys case i think they were being little turds!

Roblkey,
I'm also very sorry to hear your news! I have several dried birdhouse gourds I'd be more than happy to send to you and your son. Just send me an email, k?
ksplanter

Robin, I lost the ones on the outside of my fence last year. And someone climbed the fence and took some of the large orange, edible squash while we were in Indiana. Lucky you tho' to get basketball and giant bushel to come up. Those seeds have never come up for me. I have snake, shorthandled dipper,and apple gourd seeds tho and you can comeget some of those.
Zenova

Zenova, I pass by your house nearly everyday taking Jeremy to work. I would like some snake gourds again. You started me on gourds, when I went to your house & you handed me my first gourd. Then we both forgot it on the ground. LOL.

The basketball & bushel ones where just as easy as the others, I have problems with luffa.

Thanks Robin

Roblkey, I was just strolling through the past posts because it is too cold to plant and I am too tired from "cleaning" up the winter cover to work outside and I thought I would mention a method used by my uncle. Children used to hang from the lowest branches of the trees in front of his house no matter how many times he explained about it breaking or damaging etc. One day he applied a thick coating of Tanglefoot on the limb. It is a thick STICKY tar like substance used to discourage squirrels and other small animals. Children will try to wipe it off on their clothes and the culprits will be marked as clearly as the exploding dye in bank robberies. No need to discover them though, their parents will surely discourage them from further contact. It worked great for my uncle.

That is really funny. I have decided to grow them inside the fence this year. But I will keep your tip in mind, it would serve them right to end up black & sticky.

Robin

I once had a Dill's Atlantic Giant stolen from my garden.
Can't imagin the trouble that was to move very far.
The thing to remember is that kids, besides being troublesome at times, are also very impressionable. I once had some come over with fishing poles to fish for my pond koi. With a little paitence, and time, they can be encouraged to help rather than hinder. I have three little ones myself, and though they mess stuff up, they also have helped on many occasions. Be paitent, teach them, and heaven forbid anyone would do something like that idiot in Ohio did and kill a kid for walking across the grass. Plants can be replaced, children can't. But none the less, sorry about your gourds, especially the bushel. I have snake, apple, and dipper seeds if you want them. I think I also have some goose neck floating around.