Plant thefts

[CTTom]

I'm a new member and I write a garden column. I'm currently working o

a story about the theft of specimen plants from private gardens. Lik any gardener, I've had flowers and shrubs snatched from street-sid plantings. But recently I've been hearing stories (all at second-hand about really valuable plants -- mature Japanese threadleaf maples cycads, etc. -- taken from private gardens. Someone comes home from trip and finds a crrater where their specimen used to be. Has thi happened to any members of this newsgroup, or do you know anyone t whom this has happened? I'd like to interview victims and discuss wit them ways that such prized plants can be protected. I'm assuming ther must be a black market in such stolen plants.

Thank you ---- To

-- CTTom

[Travis]

New member of what?

Something smells fishy.

[bungadora]

second-hand)

There is a bit in an article in Gardens West June 2004 (a Canadian gardening magazine) about a woman who lost all her alley side plantings to a neighbor a few blocks away. She followed the tracks down the alley and found all her plants had been sold in a yard sale. She only plants in the front now.

Happily, I haven't had any experiences to share with you, but I'd suggest you do a search for 'crime prevention through environmental design' (cpted) literature. I did some work in this area way back. Should have stuck with it. Crime prevention is a growth industry. Dora

[Mark Anderson]

I installed planters in my alley where the garbage cans reside. These are hand made wood lined milk crate containers which I put on shelves. At first the garbage men thought they were garbage and I luckily caught them trying to toss them even though they were full of dirt. I then bolted the crates to the shelves which were bolted to the wall. A few days later I caught some guy digging out pineapple sage plants I had planted there. What he was going to do with these I have no idea since they aren't really worth much but the guy was pretty much an idiot. I then had to write a sign asking people not to take the plants and so far that has worked. Later in the summer the sign gets covered up by morning glory vines and the plants are so well established no one touches them.

One of my neighbors down the street planted a bunch of evergreen bushes in these fancy concrete containers placed in front of her house next to the sidewalk. Within the first week someone stole two of them. She then had to place a bike lock cable looped around the trunk to keep people from stealing the rest of them.

[bungadora]

plantings

These

shelves.

This reminds me of some advice I once heard on one of those gardening tv shows for curbside planters. They placed a steel bar vertically through a hole in the bottom of the planter, and buried it into the soil underneath. I seem to recall there were steel bars or cross bars on either end as well. Dora

[Sterling]

Two episodes occurred in the Atlanta area recently -

Some crepe myrtles were planted on the inside park area of some upscale condos - Dug up that night and stolen away.

Also there is a small triangular 'park' area where two streets divide that is maintained by our garden club. A number of shrubs were dug up during the night stolen taken away.

It has become more common for patio furniture to be stolen but this business with people digging up PLANTS and taking them is a whole new level.

Cut rate landscaping businesses? The fact that the plant burglars are now going into private gardens is chilling. Keep us posted.

CTTom wrote:

[Ann]

"bungadora" expounded:

Yes, there was an article in the Boston Globe a few years back about plant theft and advice on how to secure pots, and even large plants themselves, with bars and chains. Sad.

[Cheryl Isaak]

A few years back there was a case of all the hydrangea blooms being cut off at an elderly woman's garden on the Cape. Check the Cape Cod Times.

I have heard of people stealing daylilies, especially unregistered seedlings from gardens, right after tours have come through.

Cheryl

[Marley1372]

Travis, you think everything posted here is "fishy" What the hell is that supposed to mean. I think the original poster has a valid subject. You also said that the person who just wanted to know about some seedlings in thier yard was "fishy" I dont find either of those things to be out of the ordinary in any way at all. I think the fact that people are stealing specimen plantings is pretty interesting and I think people should post thier experiences with it.

Toad

[Cereus-validus.....]

Travis is on to something here.

If you are such a newbie, what makes you qualified to write a garden column.

There are long time members her who are far more qualified for the job than a hack reporter like you ever will be.

Exactly who did you blow to get the job, Miss Lewinsky?

Go and deep throat yourself!!!

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from "Travis" contains these words:

Travis, I can't help noticing that in the last few days, you think every other poster smells fishy. Now, don't take offence, but the truth is, you're the only person in the room when you have these pisconasal episodes. The rest of us are hundreds or thousands of miles away. It occurs to me that you are suffering from a lapse of personal hygeine. Now, why don't you have a long hot bath with lots of soap, change into clean underwear, and open the window? You'll soon stop noticing that fishy smell and won't feel so scratchy and irritable.

Janet.

[Jim Carlock]

Sometimes it's done in broad daylight as well. Newspaper delivery people have been known to steal things. They walk up to the house, lift the plant (or whatever) and throw a newspaper to the door.

And if someone is doing crack in the neighborhood... or in a nearby neighborhood... you'll end up missing power tools, hand tools, shovels or anything that can be sold to a pawnshop. Pawnshops like the stuff without serial numbers. The people doing crack just need to get $5 to $20 for their fix. Hand and power tools tend to satisfy those needs. Not many folks record the serial numbers on their small power tools.

And if it ain't either one of those types that's doing it then it's about

90% likely to be friends or family or someone that you know. And if you've got friends or family that do crack... you can lose everything quick.

-- Jim Carlock Please post replies to newsgroup.

[Dick Shenary]

Maybe she got the job because she could spell "here" and knew when to use "whom".

[Travis]

We seem to have the minority opinion here CV but I think we are right.

The OP has been silent thus far.

[Cereus-validus.....]

That's why you are the biggest Dick in this group.

You know just whom's ass to kiss.

Damn that spell checker.

[presley]

I did have someone swipe my beloved extra wide rake from my front yard - it was only plastic, and probably cost $15, but it's hard to find the right one to replace it. I've also set out plants in pots while deciding where I want to place them and have them disappear overnite. However, so far no one has dug any plant of mine out of the ground.