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)?

[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." :-)

[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 ;)

#

Definitely don't stop planting...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

...

[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.