All of these thoughtful comments have renewed our desire to carry on. This is a great community. Wouldn't want to live in any other part Boston Metro area.

Our disappointment is not a legal or even a philosophical matter. The gardens *are* and should be public. All kinds of people (and animals) enjoy them each day. We're always very happy to see someone snipping off a flower to take home. It's the systematic pilfering of entire plants (and poppy crops) that drives us mad and I only posted this morning hoping that some, after following the thread, might be more likely to speak up if they saw someone pulling up a whole plant.