An Unusual Theft

[Purr]

Yesterday when I went home from work I discovered that someone had stolen a pot of purple wave petunias right off the walkway leading to the front porch of my condo. I couldn't believe it!

Now, that pot of petunias was pretty big and quite heavy. I can barely lift it; I usually drag the pot on a piece of cardboard when I need to move it to my garage for winter. So, I figure it must have taken a strong man and/or two men to lift the pot, and then put it in a truck to drive off with it. The theft had to have occurred in broad daylight, because the pot was there when I left for work, and it was daylight then.

I just can't fathom why anyone would steal flowers. If you're going to steal something, steal something worthwhile. But flowers? Give me a break. Granted, the pot was nice and the petunias looked great (the secret is regular feedings of plant food), but they're just flowers. I figure the loss was about $20, with the pot, flowers and potting soil.

The other thing that bothers me is who could have taken the flowers. Generally, the people in my condo community are older, and mostly retired, so I can't see them stealing flowers. One possibility is an outside visitor. Another possibility is someone on the work crews for the garbage pick-up or landscaping. It had to have been someone who seen the pot of petunias enough to want it for themselves, and you have to drive within my condo community to see my place.

I've got 4 other pots of petunias left, and I've moved them closer to my door. Next year I may replace the stolen pot with an even bigger one, and if I do I'm going to weight it down with bricks.

[SDsalsaguy]

Unusual indeed Purr! :? :? :?

[Chris Stratton]

It wasn't by chance close enough to a roadway that someone could have accidentally driven into it and then cleaned up the resulting mess, is it?

Of course if you start getting postcards... http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0130/p14s01-lihc.html

[Purr]

If someone would have hit that flower pot, there would have been a big mess, with petunias, leaves, dirt and plastic everywhere. All that was left was a dried up leaf.

I want my flowers back!!! I tended those petunias on a daily basis, so they were lush and healthy. It really ticks me off that someone else is benefiting from my hard work, not to mention that I feel a little violated that someone just drove up to my place and took my stuff.

[Anonymous]

Once upon a time when I was way little, my mom had a '77 ford LTD- a HUGE boat of a car. She couldn't see over the steering wheel, so she put an UGLY, ratty, worn, horrible old cushion in there. It was manky looking.

One day while we were in the store, someone stole it. That is just the epitome of LOW.

[Sagitta]

There are crazy people out there Purr!! My condolences on your loss.

I guess you'll just have to chain down all your pots.

[twnkltoz]

I hate that. Once, I was living in this apartment with a porch that faced the street (with a chest-high wall across it). I had a bunch of flowers out there in various pots. I woke up one morning and two or three pots were gone and one plant had been ripped out of the pot (the pot and dirt were still there). I'm sure it was just some ***hole kids who through them in the field or something. It was about $10 worth of stuff, but it's the principle. I hate people who do things like that.

[DancePoet]

It's times like these that I wish I was Sherlock Holmes. Course, I don't know who would be Dr. Watson, but I suspect a volunteer could be found.

What a bummer. Why steal a pot of flowers? Turkey brain(s) should have just gone down to the store and bought one!

[MacMoto]

According to gardening programmes on TV, cases of garden-related thefts are on the increase in Britain as the popularity of gardening continues to grow. Gardening tools, plant pots, ornamanents, garden furniture and even specimen plants are taken by "professionals" who specialise in stealing (and presumably reselling) garden objects. :shock:

[DancePoet]

Ah! Turkey brain(s) are reselling.

If they have been getting away with it all over the place maybe it's time for some creative thief catching. Perhaps a hidden security camera perched in an appropriate spot to catch the thieves in action?

I can just see it it now, two burly guys show up in a pink pickup truck (the color purely chosen for alliterative purposes), and lift the newest potted plant from the porch, put their on purpose as a "plant" to catch the unsuspecting thieves on camera. What a surprise for the boys in pink when the police pick them up for pilfering people's plants!

Go get'um!

[Purr]

Now I'm really ticked off! Three plants are missing from one of the flower beds - a pink phlox, a blue phlox, and a blue forget-me-not. I planted them earlier this year, and I've got holes left in the bed where they were.

So, now the total damage is up to $30 - $20 for the wave petunia pot and $10 for the 3 other plants.

It's disgraceful that some people resort to stealing plants rather than going to the nursery to buy them.

[Chris Stratton]

Yuck... that sounds really bad. Perhaps you should add some poison ivy to your garden...

(Or plant some mandrakes... if you can find a place that sells REAL ones)

[DancingMommy]

I don't think it is strange at all.. We have had a "Case of the Rose Bandit" going on here in Sanford for YEARS! The outcome was really funny, lol! I'll post it later.

----

yo ho, yo ho...

[cl5814]

This reminds me of the story of the dog that stole garden ornaments a few weeks ago.......although it doesn't sound like a dog that is responsible for the theft in your case. I thought the dog was great, not sure the ornament owner would agree. No charges were pressed. Hopefully your case resolves quickly with the suspect being caught.

[Purr]

Yuck... that sounds really bad. Perhaps you should add some poison ivy to your garden...

(Or plant some mandrakes... if you can find a place that sells REAL ones)


...Evil laugh in the background...I like the way you think... :twisted:

[salsachinita]

This reminds me of the story of the dog that stole garden ornaments a few weeks ago........

Hey, this reminds me of a story of a stolen dog who happens to be a garden ornament :lol: .....!

Larry LaTrobe

1992 bronze sculpture by Pamela Irving, commissioned by the Melbourne City Council as part of the Swanston Street Walk Art Works Program. In 1995 Larry was stolen, and was never found. In 1996 the Melbourne City Council commissioned a 3 metre high float of Larry to be used in the Moomba Parade in an effort to flush him out of hiding. But Larry was never returned. In 1997 Peter Kolliner paid for the recasting of another Larry. Larry was reinstated with very secure footings. Larry now sits in the City Square, on the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets.

Here's the picture: http://www.pamelairving.com.au/

During the time Larry went missing, there were a number of spin-off sculptures made starring our lost dog here :wink: . The artist became quite well-known over this whole deal.

I remembered a really cute 'lost dog' campaign while Larry went missing.... just can't seem to find it right now :? ..........

[DancePoet]

Maybe the police could help with my camera idea?