It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.

In message , Rupert
writes
It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


What rotten luck and what rotten people who took it. Some people are
pigs.
--
June Hughes

The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.

That is *awful*, we do feel for you. They become part of the family - in
a sort
of way. Not to mention all the TLC I bet you gave it.
How old and big was it?

All our sympathy ... Edward and Jennifer

"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for
many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.

That is *awful*, we do feel for you. They become part of the family - in
a sort
of way. Not to mention all the TLC I bet you gave it.
How old and big was it?

All our sympathy ... Edward and Jennifer

Thanks. It was a baby compared to the other three I have got (at the
moment).
About 5 feet tall with relatively small fronds. It had been there for about
six years You could almost touch it from the pavement so perhaps the
temptation was too much for someone.
I doubt it was lifted by a gardener because they don't do that sort of thing
or do they?
Probably stolen for a car boot sale by someone with a bit of a bit of
knowledge.
It's not the crime of the century but I have reported the theft on line just
in case it fits in with other local thefts of garden things.

Rupert wrote in message
...
It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Hi Rupert,

How miserable for you. We've had problems in the past with people thieving,
typically evergreen trees from a hedge at Xmastime and Primroses around
Mothers' Day. This was upsetting, but cost us very little. I'm quite sure
your Tree Fern made a dent in your wallet.

I hope you have reported the incident to the police. Even if they can't get
the tree back for you, it will create a better bank of statistics that will
help the police understand how much garden crime there is. They are then
better able to target this kind of crime, and offer preventative advice.
One preventative measure is a plant anchor, which you may like to consider
if you replace your tree.

Once again, sincere comiserations.
Spider

On 5/12/05 16:07, in article , "Rupert"
wrote:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Oh that is really bad luck and a piece of filthy behaviour. I don't suppose
insurance covers things like tree ferns, either?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Spider" wrote in message
...

Rupert wrote in message
...
It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for
many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Hi Rupert,

How miserable for you. We've had problems in the past with people
thieving,
typically evergreen trees from a hedge at Xmastime and Primroses around
Mothers' Day. This was upsetting, but cost us very little. I'm quite
sure
your Tree Fern made a dent in your wallet.

I hope you have reported the incident to the police. Even if they can't
get
the tree back for you, it will create a better bank of statistics that
will
help the police understand how much garden crime there is. They are then
better able to target this kind of crime, and offer preventative advice.
One preventative measure is a plant anchor, which you may like to consider
if you replace your tree.

Once again, sincere comiserations.
Spider


Thanks-it's been reported.If it's living locally then I will eventually find
it but I don't hold out much hope.
Plant anchors sound a good idea for some of the other things that are worth
nicking.

"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 5/12/05 16:07, in article , "Rupert"
wrote:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for
many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Oh that is really bad luck and a piece of filthy behaviour. I don't
suppose
insurance covers things like tree ferns, either?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Good idea about the insurance but the financial loss isn't too much of a
problem, however, I might have to erect a tasteful steel fence which would
probably cost much more than the plants . I suppose it might be worth it for
the peace of mind.

The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.

How infuriating.
I know someone who had grown an exceptionally shapely small Scots
pine tree near his gate; it looked so handsome and unusual he
photographed it. At Christmas, some scrote came in the night, sawed the
trunk and stole it. That week, the tree's picture was published in the
local paper with a message from its owner: "To the person who killed
and stole my lovely tree for Christmas; I hope you enjoy it, and that
your friends, neighbours and festive visitors all recognise this picture
and what you are".

You might try making that treefern too hot to handle.

Janet

Rupert wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 5/12/05 16:07, in article , "Rupert"
wrote:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for
many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Oh that is really bad luck and a piece of filthy behaviour. I don't
suppose
insurance covers things like tree ferns, either?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Good idea about the insurance but the financial loss isn't too much of a
problem, however, I might have to erect a tasteful steel fence which would
probably cost much more than the plants . I suppose it might be worth it
for
the peace of mind.

Or how about an approach light on the front of the house? Two-legged rats
do not like to be illuminated as they go about their dirty deeds.
We have approach lights at the front and back of our house, as well as
several security cameras, and since they've been installed we've had no
problems.
Approach lights are relatively inexpensive, but don't consider cameras
unless you can afford good ones, otherwise you'll be wasting your money.
Been there, done that, got the frustration.

Spider

On 5/12/05 17:31, in article , "Janet
Baraclough" wrote:

snip
I know someone who had grown an exceptionally shapely small Scots
pine tree near his gate; it looked so handsome and unusual he
photographed it. At Christmas, some scrote came in the night, sawed the
trunk and stole it. That week, the tree's picture was published in the
local paper with a message from its owner: "To the person who killed
and stole my lovely tree for Christmas; I hope you enjoy it, and that
your friends, neighbours and festive visitors all recognise this picture
and what you are".

You might try making that treefern too hot to handle.

Adding the message "I hope you get what you deserve for Christmas."
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

I doubt it was lifted by a gardener because they don't do that sort of
thing
or do they?

I'm afraid they do; it's become a major hazard in many gardens open
to the public and some people are absolutely shameless about it. I'm
not talking cuttings and seeds, but entire shrubs and plants. You can
even buy anti-thief security-planting underground anchors for rare and
expensive plants , but they have to be installed at planting time afaik.

Janet

"Spider" wrote in message
...

Rupert wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 5/12/05 16:07, in article , "Rupert"
wrote:

It's been stolen. I am left with a big hole and a furious temper.
It's been much admired by people who walked by along the pavement for
many
years. I suppose I could replace it with a new one complete with razor
blades stuck in the trunk.


Oh that is really bad luck and a piece of filthy behaviour. I don't
suppose
insurance covers things like tree ferns, either?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Good idea about the insurance but the financial loss isn't too much of a
problem, however, I might have to erect a tasteful steel fence which
would
probably cost much more than the plants . I suppose it might be worth it
for
the peace of mind.

Or how about an approach light on the front of the house? Two-legged rats
do not like to be illuminated as they go about their dirty deeds.
We have approach lights at the front and back of our house, as well as
several security cameras, and since they've been installed we've had no
problems.
Approach lights are relatively inexpensive, but don't consider cameras
unless you can afford good ones, otherwise you'll be wasting your money.
Been there, done that, got the frustration.

Spider

Yes-we already have some security lights.
The problem is that the now absent tree fern lived in a fairly densely
wooded area at the bottom of a slope not really visible from the house.
The normal wildlife set off the lights regularly so we don't take too much
notice.
I think the solution may be to find a fern of very large proportions that
can not be lifted easily and then try to secure it underground with plant
anchors.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

I doubt it was lifted by a gardener because they don't do that sort of
thing
or do they?

I'm afraid they do; it's become a major hazard in many gardens open
to the public and some people are absolutely shameless about it. I'm
not talking cuttings and seeds, but entire shrubs and plants. You can
even buy anti-thief security-planting underground anchors for rare and
expensive plants , but they have to be installed at planting time afaik.

Janet

The plant anchor thingy works as detailed on the link below. It might be
very effective but I don't think it would work very well with a tree fern.
There is not really any rootball on the plants as supplied so there is no
point using it.
I will dig up one of the larger specimens and see if it has produced a
rootball in the last six years.
http://www.topiaryshop.co.uk/plantanchor.html

Rupert wrote:

I think the solution may be to find a fern of very large proportions that
can not be lifted easily and then try to secure it underground with plant
anchors.



With a tree fern the trunk is dead, so you could almost concrete the new
one in if required
- at least drilling/attaching anchors will do it no harm