Fair or not?

Cutting a shrub earlier bordering front road I heard voices. Two people were pulling plants from my neighbour's front wall; shoved into a bag and then they moved on to me. Then took bits from my plants. I jumped off the wall onto the pavement and asked what they were doing. The shock on their faces was priceless. "We would have paid" the guy said. "Ok, £15 please" I said.

I am happy to give plant material to anyone who asks and I am generous but people like those two just roughly grab what they want leaving a bit of a mess. Still annoyed.

The "coup de grace" was I trimmed back those plants later anyway! No idea where they came from, I think they were on holiday down here, but quite possibly the plants (tender osteospermums)
they took could have died over the winter where they lived.:rasp:
Now, what can spend the £15 on?

 

Utterly horrendous.....

What about spending it on a sign saying 'Do not steal the plants'?

 

But I want to get more money Irmemac:rasp:
Seriously though, it is something people do and think it ok .
Maybe some even on the forum do it, take cuttings without permission, but it is theft and unacceptable

 

That's the worst.. Surely it amounts to theft?

 

I hope you didn't hurt yourself when you jumped off the wall Verdun

I've seen brazen people taking cuttings and seed heads in NT properties and even in the gardens at Buckingham Palace where there are security cameras everywhere. I haven't seen anyone pull up plants in someone else's garden - some people have the cheek of the devil and in broad daylight too!

 

Now I remember why I so love living where I do! We seldom get too many people wandering down our road and in all the years I have lived here (nearly 15) I have never had anything stolen from my garden and it's not fenced or gated.
I have had people stop and ask about various plants and have been asked if I would sell them a few Snowdrops and Aconites as I have a "carpet" of them in the spring.
Totally justified @Verdun being annoyed and glad you got the bu..ers to stump up some cash. Somehow many people seem to treat plants with zero respect. I have successfully used the analogy of my car and plants when I've had workmen here. They got the message that I would rather have my car scratched than them putting their size 9s all over my flowerbeds and after informing them that an Acer I have growing quite close to the house would cost about £750 to replace that concentrated their minds somewhat .
Maybe have a plant sale come the Spring to "get more money" I am still flabbergasted at the amount I raised for charity with the sale I had in March/April but then knowing how hellish expensive plants are to buy and often what you get for your money you could stick in your eye, maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised.

 

No, I don't agree with helping yourself either. Most people will be happy to share if asked.

If you want to make more money, what about that sign still, but different wording: 'Plants for Sale'

 

Used to sell plants Irmemac....
Plants for sale could be seen growing here so they would see exactly what they do, how they grow and where they grow. So near to buying a nursery too .....curses
Had to choose between boring accountancy and being a healthy nurseryman. No contest right? I chose accountancy

 

Maybe it's time to invest in an electric fence and some CCTV cameras to watch in amusement? Haha, a little too sinister. I joke, or do I? :rasp:

 

I say £15 is fair they should now know not to just take, there may be someone watching

 

Or a catapault Mark :rasp:

 

@ARMANDII I had forgotten about those nasty things we kids used to do

I did once swipe a flower head off a plant. It wasn't on a person's property per se but at the private nursing home where my friend lived. It was £7000 a month so I didn't feel any guilt whatsoever. But, I never got any of the seeds to germinate... serves me right.

I would not take from a garden outside someone's house. Wouldn't want to have to pay £15 ....

 

But @CanadianLori , isn't that just as bad. You stole from a company who spend their cash looking after others who are unable to look after themselves.

 

Gardeners are the most generous of people....gardening makes us that way. We feel good when our plants are coveted and we like to share them.
But....KFF is absolutely right; taking without permission is stealing.
A friend of mine boasted most of her plants came from the local public gardens and walkway where very tender, rare and unusual plants are grown. When I admonished her for it she was shocked......."didnt harm anything" she protested.
The great Christopher Lloyd wrote about visitors taking cuttings from his plants and he also regarded it as theft.