Hi Meggs What a shocking thing to happen I am so sorry for you.
Its a sad world we live in when people come in to your garden and steal your plants.
Maybe they should get a job and pay for them like most gardeners do.
Like you I give freely to anyone that asks and people do end up being your friend.
What that person did was a low rotten thing they will get there's don't worry
Cheers up Meggs and look at it this way, we are all not like that person....MM.

Meggs

Sorry about your plant being stolen, its pathetic, a real gardener would not do that !

Almost as bad as those people who poison trees to improve their view of the ocean !

Many years ago someone stole a newly planted tree from my Mum's garden, the amazing thing was she lived down a long driveway, so they also came down the driveway and stole it.

Maybe if you put a stake in next time with a coupla ties on it and the plant, this might create some sort of obstacle to any future plant perpetrators.

P

Hi Meggs,

Like everyone else, I am also outraged at this. The local school kiddies seem to delight in tearing new plantings out and throwing them at one another - its not common, but it does happen - and that level of idiocy also saddens me. The 'Friends of the Botanic Gardens' folk tell me that they regularly need to raise funds to replace plants stolen by local scum.

All of this pales when compared to the antics of homeowners in parts of Sydney and Melbourne, where newly planted estates are often plundered for their fresh landscaping. The attitude seems to be 'why pay for it when its just sitting in the ground down the road ?'.

As you mentioned, the dimwit who stole your Banksia must have no clue as to the difficulties involved in transplanting a Protea, particularly one which is still in the throes of transplant shock. I would replace it with something nice and thorny - Bougainvillea comes to mind :)

Cheers,

Artie

Hi Meggs,

Sorry to hear about that. I have had the same experience and 'angry' just doesn't cover it. With a bit of luck they will feel guilty every time they see it. (Is that too much to hope for?) It could be vandals. I don't know which is worse really.

Just remember, the majority of people would not do that.

Cheers,
Dee.

Also sorry for your disappointment. If you replace, mulch nd make the stuff look "settled" otherwise you'll be wondering if or when.
If anyone can find a warmish wet area of OZ where at least 90% of the population have social values, I'm moving.
One of the nastiest stories here was an elderley gent - no fence, who had entered his place in the council spring gardening comp some years back and just before the judging, some hoons did wheelies in his front yard, wiping out all his beautiful display of stocks and cottage gardening flowers. Would break your heart, wouldn't it.

To all the people who responded, A BIG THANK YOU. I already feel better and yes, after reading some of the stories, in particular the one described by Alison it does put my experience into perspective, however I still feel sad, not about the plant but about the sad, sad, pituful people who fall this low. And yes I am thinking of a nice thorny plant instead of one that was supposed to bring honey eaters to the front garden. I will leave nice plants for the back garden.

Thanks again folks much more cheerfull meggs :-).

meggs Im sorry to hear this too, just the thought of someone lurking around in your garden is a bit creepy, and the poor plant will probably die from the shock.

real gardeners create gardens not destroy them, this was just a low life who did this, with no clue and no respect for someone elses property. :(

TG

I'm so sorry meggs...I too had plants stolen a couple of weeks ago; they stole 9 miniature blue agapanthus from a strip in my front yard...couldn't believe anyone would stoop so low

dirty rotten low-lifes!

The worse is that these plants will probably re-appear for sale at a flea-market, garage sale or on Ebay...

Turn the negative (ie:stolen plant, rotten people who steel them) into a positive...lets see what could that be...volunteer to help an elderly person with their garden, go and help out with a session at the local landcare/bushcare group.

Popi

Doesn't it make you wonder what is happening to our society? Sometimes it feels like you can't have anything. This is the kind of thing that made me move to the country. 20 years ago, I had a whole lawn removed by some desperado while I was visiting my mum for the weekend. We sold our house and moved to the coast. I have not returned to the city since. In fact, when the coast catches up, I move a little further out.
Cheers
Julia

Meggs, was it a tube stock? If so, it may have been taken by birds. I have seen this a couple of times. It is very frustrating indeed. I have another problem in that my idiot neighbour thinks it it quite OK to rip branches from my shrubs because they are getting closer to the fence - not even on his property!!

Sorry to report that today two more plants are missing, this time bronze flax, planted a couple of months back. I covered them with dead branches so they survived this long, however with rains they started growing and poking their leaves through the prunnings and they disappeared. I think the same person is responsible. I am afraid I will have to give up on the garden in the front :-(. I will just let self seeded plants grow.

Good grief, the nerve of that person! I can understand how dissapointing it must be for you. Don't you wish you had a hidden camera to catch them in the act.

I like to believe what goes around comes around and that oneday this thief will get what they deserve!!

Cheers,
Dee.

I've never understood how anyone can get any pleasure from looking at something they know they've stolen. You'd think just watching the stolen plant grow would be a constant reminder to the thief of their dishonesty.

Perhaps you could have a sign made up saying something like: "Garden under CCTV surveillance"?

Unbelievable!