Community garden, you say. Tamper-proof video recordings, or 24 hr watchman (who will need to remain conscious).

And be conscientious.

I've had some theft of blooms in my bed that's right along the street. And I worry about someone taking one of the potted roses off the patio. Years ago my Aunt had a rose bush dug up and taken out of her backyard. Other than fences I don't know what else you can really do. Maybe a thick hedge of REALLY thorny roses?

You might try the motion activated sprinklers designed to scare deer and rabbits. You could probably find them cheap on Craig's List or thrift store because they don't have the intended effect on wildlife. They wouldn't hurt anyone, but a blast of cold water might startle the thief enough to not mess with your garden.

You can’t really do much in a community garden. Don’t plant expensive roses or plants. A few years ago, the senior center in our town used to have a big rose garden maintained by a local rose show judge, he was always upset, he couldn’t keep the blooms in the garden, people cut the blooms off in no time, no matter how many signs he put up in the garden. So later on the senior center pull out all the roses (HTs) for good after the rose judge pasted away. It would work to put out electric fence to zap the bloom cutters.

If you have roses in a public space people are going to cut them, and legally speaking if they are in a public space such as a community garden they aren't in the wrong.

You could try very thorny roses with clustered, small flowers-the kind that are not grown for cutting but for garden display. Planting HTs is just asking for trouble, IMO.

In a community garden, your produce is exposed to...the community. Here are a couple of ideas. Taking KS's idea above further, plant things that are unusual, that most people don't know how to cook or take work to prepare. Bitter melon comes to mind. Cardoon. Grains. Soybeans. Dandelion greens. You could also plant root vegetables. People might steal a beet or carrot, but might be less likely to dig up potatoes, oca, or yacon, burdock or daikon. If you must plant roses, I agree with Bart. Plant rugosas.

Make a sign or signs, “thou shalt not steal.” Or a humorous poem. I bet someone here could write a great poem or slogan. Since it’s a public garden people may feel more comfortable helping themselves. This happened at our elementary school—stealing from a children’s garden

Actually, if you’re having a problem, others probably are too. Maybe there needs to be a sign at the entrance to the garden. OK, it probably won’t stop the problem but it would make most people think.

Grace Yu

How about a sign that reads:

GODS HANDY WORK

or

A GARDEN FOR GOD

and

HE IS WATCHING YOU!

or

DID YOUR MOTHER

TEACH YOU TO STEAL?

If the signs don’t work then put down a pan, sunk into the soil, filled with axial grease that they can step in. Not too deep as you want them to not notice that they have stepped in something. Can you imagine them getting into their car (if they have one) and then walking around in their house with shoes loaded with grease? AND then having to remove the grease…. have fun….

You can remove the pan each morning.

Another one along the same lines is a small fake bush that you sit in the path such that no matter which side of it they go around their legs brush against the outer limbs…..that are loaded with axial grease.

To remove just grab the center top branch and sit the whole thing into a 5 gal pail….. are we having fun yet???? lol

Never plant red classic hybrid teas near public walk ways.

many people don't recognize single petaled roses as roses so they don't take them

the kind of netting used to protect soft fruits from birds can protect roses and make it not worth the theives' efforts.

interplant with poison ivy only if you aren't allergic

You could just plant the Mermaid rose...

They might get in but they won't get out! lol

for laughs..

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/i-bought-mermaidhelp-kim-jeri-dsvw-vd~1625724?n=44[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/i-bought-mermaidhelp-kim-jeri-dsvw-vd~1625724?n=44)

Or

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/opinions-about-mermaid-climber-in-a-med-climate-dsvw-vd~1567999?n=36

Occasionally, my L.D. braithwaite would be snapped off too. It is at the front of my house but not close to the sidewalk, fortunately. These people are found everywhere, so I would suggest to plant those precious roses at the back of the house.