KEEPING PLANT THIEVES AT BAYHave you ever experienced plants being stolen from your garden? It’s more common than you might think. A study in Britain showed that, on average, one home in seven has something stolen from the garden every year. I’ve been a victim of plant theft myself, in fact many times.
My Unplanned Self-Serve Garden The worst situation was at my previous residence: a ground-floor apartment in a low-income district neighborhood where buildings were chockablock and there was very little greenery. I was luckier than most in that the admittedly ramshackle building at least had a postage stamp lawn in the front and a somewhat larger one out back, plus it was next to a churchyard where I was able to borrow even more space. The “front yard” became a flower garden. And along the garage, on the church’s property, I struggled mightily to remove 80 years of junk and weeds and grow a vegetable garden. What I wasn’t thinking was that both were in full public view and thus visible to any potential plant thieves. They hit the flower garden first and most heavily. They seemed to assume that I had put in a self-serve floral buffet and would walk off with bouquets of blooms. That wasn’t so bad, as I was growing mostly annuals and most will rebloom when you cut them back. But sometimes they’d simply rip out the entire plant, snap the flowers off, and toss the plant to the ground, killing it. I think very few people in the neighborhood had ever gardened and as a result, they didn’t seem to recognize the edible plants in the vegetable garden as something useful—after all, carrot and beet leaves don’t look like much!—and usually left them alone. Except for the tomatoes. Whoever was doing the stealing began collecting those as they turned red. I soon learned to harvest my tomatoes before they fully matured to beat the thieves at their game … but that meant I was not harvesting tomatoes at their tastiest. The back yard should have been a haven, as it had a fence around it, but it was still in full public view, only feet from a popular footpath through the churchyard. Thieves did leave my in-ground plantings (bulbs, perennials, shrubs, etc.) totally alone, but would often walk off with any pots of new plants I had not yet planted. (I learned to store them out-of-sight in the garage until I had time to do so.) They’d also snatch houseplants I’d put outdoors for the summer, pots and all. And not the ordinary ones, like spider plants and philodendrons, but collectors items: orchids, bromeliads, cacti, succulents, etc. I always felt that the houseplant thief was not linked to the others and must have been a plant collector. I used to scout windowsills in the neighborhood, looking for my lost plants, but I never did find them. Personal Perspectives point of view for Plant Thief Experience Stories My mother-in-law experienced plant theft a few years ago. She was standing at her kitchen window looking out at the lovely flowering bulbs in her front yard when a car pulled up. A man jumped out with a pair of clippers, swiftly clipped her flowers, and drove away. It happened in just seconds, as my mother-in-law gazed speechlessly at her now-bald bulbs. I kid you not. It was an obviously premeditated drive-by flower robbery! From the stories of people who have had their plants stolen, I’ve garnered a few tips that will help you to prevent plant theft. (See also: Disguise Your Stuff to Prevent Car Break-ins) 1. Use Big Heavy Planters To prevent people from stealing potted plants, pot and all, go for big, heavy planters that aren’t easy to move. While heavy planters won’t necessarily prevent a determined criminal from taking your plants, they can be a deterrent to the casual thief. Better yet, chain or bolt the planter to the ground. That way, even if thieves dig up your plants, at least you won’t lose that expensive planter! 2. Choose Flowers Wisely Apartment Therapy had this great tip — don’t plant those rare bulbs in plain view in your front yard. Actually, don’t plant any expensive flowers where thieves might see them and be tempted. In the front yard, stick to low-growing flowers that are pretty but aren’t tall enough for cut flower arrangements. 3. Harvest Your Fruit A fruit tree loaded with ripe fruit is very tempting to people who pass by. My husband’s grandparents had an entire tree stripped of ripe grapefruit. Somehow the thieves had managed to pick every single grapefruit, several hundred pounds' worth, and cart it off without being noticed. Harvesting ripe fruit in a timely fashion shows potential thieves that you care about your fruit tree and are keeping an eye on it. 4. Chain Plants Down If you’re in the process of putting in some landscaping, and your neighborhood is known for plant thieves, consider weaving chain or cable through the roots of your trees as you plant them, and then connecting them either to other trees or to something immovable. Determined thieves might bring cutters, but chaining your plants down might discourage them a bit. 5. Get It on Tape Catch thieves on tape — or at least fake it. Placing a fake security camera near your plants (but high up where thieves can’t reach) can be an effective deterrent. Alternatively, place a nanny-cam in your front window. Some people have also installed motion-sensor lights to good effect. Putting a few deterrents around your home can make your plants less appealing to thieves, who may then choose to look elsewhere for their loot. 6. Keep Ornaments Out of Sight Flowers and plants are not the only targets for thieves. If you have a pretty dish, unique ornaments, lanterns, or candles sitting around on your front patio, you can be sure that these small items are tempting to unscrupulous pilferers. Keep them inside the house until you are ready to use them. 7. Put a Lock on Your Gate If your backyard is fenced in, you might want to consider installing a lock on your gate to protect not only your backyard plants, but also your patio set and barbecue. Believe it or not, people have had plants stolen right off their back patios. Have you ever had plants stolen? What tips would you recommend to prevent plant theft? This stories was written by a writer Camilla Cheung from Wise Bread Comments are closed.
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