some loser has stolen my plants!!!

foreign_correspondent

:mad: Went to my dad's today, he is a retired market gardener and he lets me use his greenhouse to grow a few bits and bobs. Someone went into it last night and stole about 150 strawberry plants, 4 fruit trees (all about six foot tall, including a nectarine), a few trays of onion seedlings, a pot of rhubarb and several pots with fruit bushes in (gooseberries, redcurrants etc)

I have scrimped and saved, buying seed on special offers, saving seed etc, to try and make it worthwhile, and someone has just taken god knows how many plants. My dad has been going in every day to water for me, and has nurtured the strawberry plants over the winter. The fruit trees were a gift from a friend.

This years attempt at moneysaving has been well and truly wrecked. The growbags I hunted for 'on offer' to put my strawberries in will now be mostly redundant. All that time, effort, thought and money, just taken by someone else without a thought or a care for who it belongs to.

Well, I hope they choke on their strawberries and I hope their plants get blight, the swines. Also, if you are in the north derbyshire area and see someone suddenly rigging out their allotment or garden with the above, or they try and flog you it, please do let me know!

Lotus-eater

That's a shame, I would try freecycle before you totally give up, to try to find some new plants and maybe even small trees that no one wants.

I hope you manage to get some new ones, gutting.

ceridwen

What a "!!!!!!" !!!

Had you thought of keeping an eye on local carboot sale? - in case the thief tries to sell them on there. It may be that they intend to flog their ill-gotten gains, rather than keep them themselves.

Worth checking with neighbours -to see if they've also fallen victim to this thief. I'd certainly "put the word round" about this if I were you - perhaps a postcard in the local corner shop window or something (maybe something along lines of "I cant afford a big reward for any news of my stolen property - just my heartfelt thanks and a bit of the produce - but I would appreciate it very much if people could keep an eye out for my stolen plants please").

If they try and eat the "spoils" themselves - lets hope they really ARE (spoils that is) and give them food poisoning.

I would second trying Freecycle for replacement plants - in fact - I wouldnt just sit back and hope that suitable things were offered on Freecycle. I would put out a "wanted" request and state that it was down to x/y/z having been stolen from my garden (you never know - it might be "two birds with one stone" - as a wanted ad phrased like that might just trigger off someone knowing where your stolen plants are - or the thief finding them "too hot to handle").

I guess you are on a dual mission here:
- get your stolen plants back (or at the least - replacements for them)
- trying to make life as "uncomfortable" as possible for the thief (chances are its someone with "local knowledge" of your area - hmmm....)

TravellingAbuela

That's awful, I really feel for you. There are some rotten people around these days. We were away a few days last week and came home to find someone had stolen all our bird feeders from the tree in front of the big window. I was livid so can understand your feelings when so much time, effort and money has gone into it.

ceridwen

I think a lot of us can sympathise personally.

Part of me is still looking for a comfrey plant thats sitting in a pot out back - I know EXACTLY where it is (well - where it was - until some thief walked into my back garden and stole it). It was very odd - as it was the only thing stolen. Two years later - I have my suspicions who it was and I'm "biding my time"...:p:D

Teresita_2

((((((Hugs)))))) Its not nice at all and itsnot just the stealing (although grrrrrrrrrrr it makes me mad) It's that invasion of your privacy. I had stuff stolen and knew who it was and think thats worse as you get determined to do something.

I hope you can restock and salvage something. I am a single mum and know that it hasnt been cheap to get what I have and have had to sacrifice stuff to be able to have the garden set up.

Best wishes and hope you get started again xx

Mortal

I wonder if there's a link to the theft in Long Eaton, I don't think it's too far from Derby. One of my mates' neighbours had a lap top and some other stuff stolen from his shed/office, another neighbour had the bench and plant pots stolen from out the front of the house and someone has tried to get into my mate's shed, they have used a screwdriver next to the lock, but she thinks she may have disturbed them.
I'd imagine in both times a van would have had to have been used, so I'd go with the Car Boot theory.

Certainly a planned trip I'd say.

Beggers

(((hugz)))

ailuro2

They couldn't have carried them off, they'd have needed transport, ask around the area to see if anyone saw someone they'd not seen before, and as others have said, check the local car boot sale. (might be some cheap plant replacements there - church stalls are another cheap source for plants.

ceridwen

Teresita wrote: »

((((((Hugs)))))) Its not nice at all and itsnot just the stealing (although grrrrrrrrrrr it makes me mad) It's that invasion of your privacy. I had stuff stolen and knew who it was and think thats worse as you get determined to do something.

I agree with the sentiment about it also being "an invasion of privacy". That is what annoyed me most personally - not so much the theft itself - as that someone had taken it upon themselves to walk into my garden without an invite and generally snoop round my property.

I can also relate to you knowing who it was - as I said - I have my suspicions...and am waiting my chance...With my plant I think it was probably a neighbour who does a LOT of snooping-round and seems to think THEY should have the say about what I do with my own garden:mad: (MY business obviously - unless I'm growing anything that might damage someone else's property or block someone else's light)

seadee

What have the local police got to say about it? Is it part of a trend that they have noticed?

Not nice at all, sorry it happened.

ALIBOBSY

Really sorry for you. You can't have anything these days .
Sadly as more and more people start "growing their own" and it becomes more and more trendy, so the value of plants and equipment to those who would rob to sell on goes up.

Don't know if its any help to you but Lidl are having a big green weekend from 2nd may, with strawberries at £2.99 and little peppers and tom plants?
Do you have any seeds left? Most veg can still be sown now or next month so the whole year needn't be lost.

Can your Dad check his house insurance? Pehaps he could make a claim for the plants? (although I realise you may not want to give him the hassle of that).

Good luck

ali x