The great lavender theft mystery

whoops.....any thoughts on why anyone in their right mind would steal a couple of lavender plants? I’m quite insulted they didn’t take the pots.

I used to have 3 matching pots by my front door with Fuchsia in them someone took the lot and the largest pot was pretty hefty I’ve never put pots outside the front since.

3/4 years ago, our Church had a very large, heavy pot stolen from outside the front doors.
How on earth they managed to move it is a mystery.

A friend had his newly-planted rose bushes stolen from his garden overnight. When he took his dog for a walk later on, he was astonished to see that a hitherto-neglected garden was now sporting some very nice rose bushes. The garden belonged to a bit of a ‘Jack-the-lad’ and after that, our friend used to walk by and enquire how his roses were doing in their new home.

Years ago I planted up some tubs for my MIL to enjoy but she refused to have them in the front porch in case someone stole them so they remained indoors!

We're having an awkward bit of garden at the front revamped with shingle etc and I was thinking of putting some heavy pots on it.

Perhaps not.

it is obviously an insomniac thief!

something ate all our courgettes the other nights and most of our herbs. I thought it might be the hedgehog but presumably it's more like to be a rabbit>?

My son had bamboo plants stolen from his garden a few years ago.

Someone thought certain n’er-do-wells might be stealing plants and then planting them up in their own pots for selling on.

Friends moved to our town years ago. As he was a new teacher they qualified for a council house, and came to view their new home.
When they moved in shortly afterwards they thought something was amiss then realised there was now no lawn, only bare earth.
Their new neighbour quite matter of factly told them that yes, other local residents had been and helped themselves and their lawn was now growing in several nearby gardens!

I had two witches cauldron type planters full of pansies. They were lovely. I put them on either side of the front door. The next morning they had gone.

When I was thinking of moving to Exmouth I joined their Facebook Community page.

There were several posts from people upset by the theft of plants/pots/ornaments.

There are some people in the world who want what, and if we've got it, they will take it from us without conscience.

I meant to add I'm sorry your plants were stolen Kate54.

A local landowner has been trying to turn his land into an arboretum and plants have been stolen constantly - he's now fenced it all off with some very ugly black railings, it completely spoils the effect.

It’s unbelievable really. I could understand taking the pots (sort of) but pulling out individual plants....

I bought some lovely blue pots and have some shrubs growing in them. This was 8th April. DH predicted that by 8th August they would be gone. I've got more faith in human nature than him, so we'll see. Although someone near here had her hanging baskets nicked. Sorry to hear about your plants Kate54 I think people will just steal anything these day.

Thanks everyone. It’s depressing, isn’t it?

We had a stone wheelbarrow planted up. Got up one morning to find it gone. It was very heavy.
We live in a cul de sac so we assume someone was deliberately looking for this type of thing.
Why pay for your own if you can take someone else’s ?

There have been several posts on our local FB page about garden ornaments being stolen. One lady spotted a van parked nearby, and two men lifting some heavy ornaments from a neighbour's garden into the back of the van. It was broad daylight so she didn't think there could be anything bad going on but took a pic of the van anyway. She went out and headed towards the neighbour's to see the men jump in the van and drive off. When her neighbour's got home she told them what had happened. She also posted the pic on FB, and it was spotted in a number of nearby roads. I think the police caught up with them eventually.

Dear Kate54 sorry to hear of your lavender loss. I’m in Greater London so don’t get the type of wildlife you get but are you near a pub? I ask this as it’s clearly someone playing silly beggars! I had 3 super heavy lead window boxes stolen complete with white geraniums and silver grey festuca grasses, I was livid and hurt. It must have been a team of people as I had had 3 fairly sting men install them!

Sorry to hear about your plants Kate54. The only way I’d put plants out front now is if they are faux plants which I did in my previous house expecting them to be gone the next morning but they were still there when I moved out in March because I forgot them! Cement the pots down. If I were you I’d put a cactus in the middle of the pot now hopefully you will then hear the thief go ouch at least!?

do you have any cctv around there that you could train on the plant pots? Choose something quite prickly such as berberis or a prickly rosa rugoso to put in centre, or alternatively use gloves and plant something like euphorbia and ivies that irritate the skin. If you wear gloves you will be ok but if they dont they will get caught by it. Meet up with neighbours if you get on and have a go at taking turns for a couple of nights of watching the area from inside and if you have a phone with a photo you might get a picture of the thieves or if they have a car or van you will get that. Good luck

I have shingle sand a screwed to the sill window box now but my cctv captured someone coming in for a peak the other day, gloves on and for the ready!!!

There's a lot of it about. I bought a small phormium for the circular bed in front of the local chapel, thinking that it would be something perennial as winter/summer bedding came and went. Sadly, it was the phormium that went. Overnight.