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June 7, 2009
Stolen Plants
Came home last night and three of the plants we just planted were dug up and stolen from our front yard. I know there are things you have to put up with living in bed stuy, but come on. It's not that the plants were expensive $7 to $16 at home depot, but to actually come into the yard and dig them out.... and refill the holes!!! DAMN
The block (MacDonough) is so pretty and for the longest time my front yard was the ugliest on the block. We are slowly trying to improve things and this is so disheartening. Just Venting.
Comments
It's more likely that your plants were lifted by squirrels, raccoons, or other four-legged neighbors. It's a constant problem in gardens everywhere, especially for newly planted items, plants with bulbs, tuberous roots, etc. Try sprinkling surface soil with cayenne or diatomaceous earth. Try laying chicken wire or similar, covered with mulch. Try squirrel repellant.
Posted by: vinca at June 7, 2009 1:17 PM
I wish I could believe it was a squirrel or raccoon. I like that scenario better.
Posted by: bedstuy11216 at June 7, 2009 1:40 PM
I just had a sweet potato vine dug up by a squirrel. I didn't see the critter, but it's unlikely that a human vandal would have left the uneaten part of the potato it grew from strewn about my parlor floor window ledges.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 7, 2009 1:41 PM
Sorry to say this, but: I absolutely believe that someone stole them. When we first moved to our current block in Park Slope 17 years ago - this was a regular occurance. A neighbor even photographed a van driving down the street - guys would move from one house to the next, digging up the plants, throwing them into the van and taking off. Only two years ago we came out to find one rare plant in particular dug out of each of our three pots in the front. The more common plants were left in place, so the theif knew what they were taking. It's that kind of small stuff that can really get you down. I have seen people whip out scissors and start cutting roses and peonies growing in front of homes. If it's a critter, you usually see the ripped leaves, dirt, etc, strewn nearby. When it's a clean dig - it was a human. So sorry :(
Posted by: parkslopemom at June 7, 2009 2:11 PM
Had the same thing happened to me last spring. It was a honeysuckle. I think it`s got to be a van pulls up, to block the view from the neighbors.Everybody on my block has plants in their front yard but me. I am going to just plant ivy and things I can propagate from my back garden so I don`t feel like I`m throwing money in the garbage. I still fantasize about implanting tracking chips into plants, and then the police raiding the nursery they end up in.
Posted by: sally at June 7, 2009 2:47 PM
Used to live in a coop in Queens with lovely plantings in the front that were stolen regularly. (Generally mid-size flowering annuals.) Several people have been caught doing the stealing. One is a middle-aged white woman. Don't know about the others. Apparently they sell them.
Posted by: mopar at June 7, 2009 4:17 PM
We actually had our holly plant pulled up and then tossed. Now that was upsetting because it was done with menace.
Posted by: HomeSweetstuy at June 7, 2009 4:48 PM
Events like these always produce a bit of a Rorschach test. What’s the explanation? Who’s to blame? Who done you wrong—a vandal or a critter? Why be so sure about the answer when the event wasn’t witnessed? Why cite events from decades ago as “proof” of what’s happening now? Losses happen. I’ve lost plants this spring, too. In the summer or fall, it’s likely I’ll also lose something to the elements. Gardeners always do; rewards and losses are twin gifts of gardening. New gardeners generally attribute the losses to vandalism (or blame nurseries for selling damaged goods). But in northeast urban gardens, plants gone missing are usually the work of squirrels and raccoons, an occasional rabbit, and sometimes dogs and cats. In other areas, losses can run the gamut from gophers to deer. Curiously, this spring I’ve lost begonias from the most mundane planter box I have; a plant which is a dime a dozen throughout the neighborhood. The “exotics" in the very same planter or very close by, and just as easily accessible, are all still in place. Don’t know what’s so delicious about those plants in MY box; always distressed by occasional holes and entirely missing plants (roots and all); not so quick to perceive myself as under attack.
Posted by: vinca at June 7, 2009 5:00 PM
I think we'd all prefer to believe it was critters. Alas, the evidence (even if it just circumstantial) points to smoothed skinned primates with opposable thumbs.
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at June 7, 2009 5:51 PM
I also live on McDonough Street and I have had so many plants stolen from my yard and most were large unusual plants that I cherished. There is no way that some critter took these rather large plants. Now I put in plants that I won't be so devastated if they are taken.
Posted by: sjb at June 7, 2009 6:09 PM
A neighbor just had a small red maple stolen over night from his front yard....people will take anything.
Posted by: PHfamily at June 7, 2009 6:27 PM
We had some plants stolen from our stoop on thursday.
We also had someone dug some plants from a planter in our front yard.
We planted new ones.
It is very upsetting.
Posted by: emil at June 7, 2009 7:37 PM
My cousin in Staten Island had a weeping Japanese malple dug up from right in front of her house. I couldn't believe it. When I lived in Hoboken I actualy tied might pots to railings so they wouldn't get stolen.
Posted by: italiana71 at June 7, 2009 7:40 PM
Same thing happened in front of my house, in Greenpoint. No way it was critters, sadly.
Posted by: brooklynblondie at June 7, 2009 9:32 PM
Whoops, Denton forgot to log out and log back in with his alter ego.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at June 7, 2009 10:18 PM
My neighbors have mentioned it as well. Yes, people are stealing them to resell them. People are willing to pay a huge premium to own a plant stolen from Bed Stuy. It makes them think thjey're no longer an Asshat. :)
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 8, 2009 8:51 AM
In addition to the less than ideal growing conditions they have to suffer, plants in urban front yard gardens are vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Ya gotta be a tough plant and gardener to make it in this city!
These recommendations for front yard plantings are from Linda Yang's "The City Gardener's Handbook".
Bolt portable containers to the sidewalk or wall, securing root balls of shrubs and small trees prior to planting and anchoring these with weights hidden beneath the soil. Use plants with natural barbs, making their removal painful (thorny roses, thistles). You can also plant commonly found inexpensive plants making their loss and replacement less costly.
I'd also suggest keeping the front area well lit.
To prevent critters from rooting around in the garden use plants that are inedible (poisonous) such as Daffodils, Crocus, Foxglove, English ivy, Lily of the valley, Azalea, Datura. Keep in mind that these are also toxic to children if ingested.
Good Luck and thanks for helping to beautify Brooklyn.
Posted by: GinoinGreenpoint at June 8, 2009 9:26 AM
I had a topiary bay stolen that I'd worked on for 8 years - they took pot & all even though it had been chained to a railing. The only solution is to plant banal rubbish.
Posted by: Arkady at June 8, 2009 9:40 AM
I had an opposite and extremely strange experience today. I came out of my house this morning and someone had planted a ton of begonias in my tree pit. I was in and out all day yesterday and they weren't there. Kind of nice, but also a little creepy. And I really don't like begonias AT ALL. I was planning to plant other stuff in the tree pit and now I don't know what to do.
Posted by: geekspice at June 8, 2009 1:12 PM
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