Subject: Plant thief!
From: (Genevieve)
Date: 4/28/2004 11:51 AM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:
I bought 4 nice Gerber Daisies to plant around the ugly street sign in
my front yard - yellow, white, pink and orange.
A week later, the orange Gerber plant was gone and only the hole in
the ground was left. I can't imagine what happened to it. Would an
animal run off with a plant like that? I'm thinking someone wanted the
orange daisy and just absconded with it. 
I should have put it in the back yard, but who thought I'd have a
problem like that?! Now I'm wondering about the Hydrangeas I'm
planning for my front beds. Will they be safe? I know - it probably
won't happen again and I'm being paranoid.
Any one else have a problem with plants that grow legs and walk away?
Last summer I found a cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) (protected by state
law here) on state land (a natural area, where ALL plants found are protected
by state law). I returned to show my girlfriend that night, as she'd never seen
a cardinal flower. Someone had cut the entire flower stalk, and taken the
flowers.
Whoever did it borke two laws, including the one protecting threatened plants
in this state.
I assume it was kids, who wanted to take the flowers home to their parents. I
sincerely hope the parents try and educate the kids on why not to do that, but
expect instead they'll tell the kids how nice the flowers are.
Since they took the whole plant in your case, I doubt it was kids. Personally,
I would add half-buried mousetraps to any plants you assume are in danger of
being stolen. Perhaps the screams will catch a thief. (notice - do not actually
do this, as they're likely to then vandalize your house if they're not caught).
-
theoneflasehaddock