More bikepath garden thefts

[veronique4.livejournal.com]

Two more plants lifted from the gardens--a lavender plant and a poppy plant (total out of my pocket about $12). Also, last night someone came along (between 5 pm and 10 pm and cut about 60 poppies from the large patch that my gardening partner went to great lengths this summer to cultivate. Red, pink, yellow, and white poppies were cut; the orange were left. How bizarre. People have been loving those poppies--especially kids.

Please take pictures if you see anyone stealing plants or messing around in the gardens at odd hours. It's a violation of the entire community that enjoys these gardens each day.

Am ready to give up. Just can't deal with these petty thieves anymore.

Comments

[wishful-knicker.livejournal.com]

That's pretty jerky. And it isn't like the person was starving and needed the plants for food... Sorry to hear that happened.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

Would it be legal to put up a camera aimed at the gardens (with a sign saying "smile, plant thieves!" or something like that)?

[veronique4.livejournal.com]

How I'd love to do that! From the reports I've gotten, it seems to be a one-woman show.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

Maybe start with a sign along the lines of "These plants have been lovingly placed here for the enjoyment of our whole community. Please do not take them. Thank you." Shame might not be enough to deter her, but at least she wouldn't be able to pretend that she didn't know it was wrong.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think that a cheap small battery cam might be something to consider. Thank you for all your efforts to beautify the space!

[spettacolo.livejournal.com]

STAKE OUT.

You need to put out some really enticing bait (like easily stealable POTTED flowers) and stake out the garden. Get a camera with a good telephoto lens and wait patiently. It's most likely happening early in the morning. Maybe share shifts with a couple people and nab the crook in the act. Then post the person's photo all over the path shaming them as a plant thief.

It's unlikely the Somerville police will do anything about a plant thief. They don't even bother with GPS thieves (I know from experience). The person doing this needs to be outed.

[turil.livejournal.com]

It's a hard lesson to learn. Entropy (oftentimes helped along by humans) is always out there. Enjoy what you can while it lasts, and don't get too attached. Especially to material things, for they are the bits of life that change the most frequently.

I do appreciate your intent to create an enjoyable and interesting space for the community, as I'm sure many do. And I can only hope that those plants are now simply brightening up the community somewhere else, and that the neighbors of the person who relocated them are appreciating them as well.

Perhaps next time you plant, if you still want to, you could use free and/or inexpensive plants raised from seed, rather than spending so much on store bought plants (if the money is an issue, which it sounds like it is for you, since you mentioned it). Many gardeners have leftover seedlings that they'd be happy to donate to the community greenspaces. Have you talked to the Sommerville Garden Club? They have lots of members who might be willing to help you out.

And, I think a "lost plants" sign might be kind of interesting. You know, a parody of a lost cat sign. To raise awareness, in an appealing and amusing way. "Lost Lavender Plant: last seen on the community path. Much loved and missed. If you find our small, pleasantly scented friend, please return her to her home." :-)

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

The original poster is a constant contributor to the Somerville Garden Club, and the bike path community garden. She has volunteered huge amounts of her time (and money) to these projects.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Great. So she's already got a lot of connections for support in making it easier and more affordable to keep planting, if it's something she wants to do. That garden club is great, isn't it?

What?

[spettacolo.livejournal.com]

"Enjoy what you can while it lasts, and don't get too attached. Especially to material things, for they are the bits of life that change the most frequently... And I can only hope that those plants are now simply brightening up the community somewhere else, and that the neighbors of the person who relocated them are appreciating them as well."

That's a pretty insensitive thing to say.

Would you have said the same thing if the original poster had their car stolen?

"Tra la la... The world is an imperfect place. You just have to live with it. At least I hope the person who stole your car is getting some good use out of it."

Re: What?

[kpht.livejournal.com]

FWIW, It's been established before that this particular member of ds_lj is not short on nonsensically obnoxious or massively insensitive statements or comments. It's best to just shrug your shoulders and move on, you'll never get the explanation you're looking for :P

[veronique4.livejournal.com]

The vast majority of the plants have come from seeds and donations. This season, though, we decided to fill in a few gaps with some favorites and yes, one should not get too attached to materials things, especially when they live in a public urban garden.

I like your "lost plant" idea. Might give that a try.

Thanks for your ideas.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Did you actually read the original post? Precisely what sort of wild animal do you imagine steals entire plants? Or _cuts_ poppies of only selected colors?

[prog.livejournal.com]

It'd be funny if this were a "Murders in the Rue Morgue" deal, and after a lengthy stakeout the culprit is revealed to be a hungry bunny or something. But it would have to be an unusually picky animal to eat around only the orange poppies!

[kpht.livejournal.com]

Clearly, you should be cross-breeding the poppies with razorblades.

In all seriousness, that effing blows.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry this keeps happening. It's so frustrating how a tiny number of people can ruin things for everyone.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Please don't stop planting! :-(

The garden is one of my favorite parts of the path!

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

the kind of insensitive idiot that steals plants from "public gardens" probably thinks it's a victimless crime, taking back from the Man... it might not even occur to them that they are stealing, right? after all, plants are nature's miracles...

harvesting stuff from someone's garden... scrumping as it were, while some consider acceptable losses, is kind of outrageous as well. hopefully, it wasn't some stupid druggie who thinks they are getting high for free. next they'll be stealing the morning glories and deadly nightshade ;) [for they are fierce and have lime pits]

beware little old ladies with red wagons ;)

#

Wait a minute...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

It's public property, right? Or did I get that wrong. These guys are a***les, but I don't think they are doing anything illegal. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

Definitely don't stop planting...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Definitely don't stop planting...

[anyee.livejournal.com]

Weren't you just arguing above that it's okay for her plants to get stolen, which is the main reason she wants to stop planting?

Which is it? Can't have it both ways.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Veronique4, thank you very much for doing what you can to improve the bike path, and also for your eye-opening grace in the face of what looked to me like snotty, holier-than-thou insensitivity. I couldn't have done it, but it cheers me up to see you do it!

Whether or not the thefts were actually illegal, I suspect the police have bigger fish to fry, and by posting your signs you've exhausted your remedies outside of the law. But if you want to put forth the effort to get a photo of the thief, I wouldn't be surprised if the thief turned out to be someone who steals other stuff too, so it might be useful to the cops whether or not those particular thefts were actually technically against the law.

[veronique4.livejournal.com]

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.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

If I saw someone pulling up a whole plant, I would certainly ask what they were doing and why, but thanks for giving additional context, and for all the hard work you do.

And I understand your impatience and disappointment with that person or person's selfish actions. I guess it takes all kinds.