To catch a thief

As some of you know, we've had people coming in after hours and stealing plants from our nursery. Well tonight I took DD to a birthday party and had a couple of hours to kill. I went back to the green houses and to keep anyone from bothering me, I parked my car behind huge stacks of potting soil. Wally, of course, was with me. He kept nudging my leg and wanting me to follow him, so I did. There were 2 people with plants in their hands on the lot. The gate was closed, and the only means of escape from Wally was a 6 foot deep ditch. Guess what, they could be broad jumpers in the Olympics!!! The plants were tossed aside, they ran and jumped the ditch. It was so funny!! Wally was very proud of himself. I took him to Wallyworld and bought him a toy.
I bet they won't be back after hours for a long time, lol.

All right!! Wally is a good pooch to have around. Hope he liked his new toy. A shoe from one of those people would have been a good toy for him too. :-)

I bet they won't either! I'd keep an eye on things for a few more nights though. They could have heard of this through word of mouth, and I'd give them a few days to pass the word on.

Too bad you don't have hidden camera's to catch them in the act! Maybe you could contact a local alarm/security co and see if they have a sign you could buy...you know like post signs all around that says "Brinks" or something to indicate that you have a new alarm system. I'm pretty sure that would scare them into not coming back too! I know several people that only bought the signs from the company and that way everyone "thinks" they have the service when really all they have is the signs.
I mean I dearly love plants...but I don't think they are worth stealing..and going to jail!!!

"Gee Wally...! What da ya think Dad is gonna say?"
(Beaver Cleaver).


Cala, sure sounds like camp-out time to me!! We should make on of them Crocodile Dundee snares or the like!

Cala, in our local paper this week was an article about a nursery that is shutting down, $10,000 or so stolen in the past few years, ornamental and expensive plants. they have cameras, alarms, the whole 9 yards and haven't caught him. they have put the business up for sale. and just think, last summer while in NC i didn't steal those hyacinth vine beans, the light bulb went off and said to self "i can trade for these".
wally must be very well trained, my pups would have just taken off barking, especially the 10 pounder...

I think you need some nice pictures of Wally snarling and just post those around. LOL Maybe you should get some paint guns and just shoot people with those. It would be hard for them to lie their way out of it if they were splattered with paint. :) Happy hunting. Glad Wally saved your plants!

cala that is awful that they are doing this! Bite em Wally!!!! Are they neighbors that know when you leave-do they come over while your sleepin? Thats really scary I think! People are NUTZ!
Good job wally, you take care of lil sparky for us!!!!

We have a neighbor that has run a few people off. Several friends have called me and said "better get to the nursery, there are people on the lot" and when I get there, they are gone. We have several policemen who buy from us and they try to take a look when they drive by. The deputy was slowing down when I came around to see the theives jump the ditch. Guess he figured Wally had everything under control.
Sometimes in the evenings, I'll drive down to the school that's across the road and just watch. That's when I saw the woman digging up plants in my flower bed that's out by the drive way. We've had people steal right under our noses, one man drove in, stole a concrete planter and drove off!! Couldn't get the license number, he had mud on it.

OH My Gosh Susie thats just terrible! I pinch a few, but never the whole plant! ;] I guess if your not right there watching every second that will happen! But someone digging right out of your flower beds-Id have to give her something else free-some words n a boot!!!!
Just dont take any chance suzie-I hear there are hillbillies with shotguns in the south, so be careful!
some people!!!grrrrr!!

Way-to-go, Wally!
What a good dog!
That's really sad when people resort
to stealing flowers, isn't it?
For the past few years,
our area has had thefts
(of newly planted flowers) in cemeteries.
'Really low.

That really is the pits Cala!! How can people stoop so low - I will never understand it!! How about installing an electric fence!! :-)

A pox on these plant thieves - may their thumbs be eternally black, and every plant they steal die.

I just can't understand how someone could possibly enjoy looking at a plant they out-and-out stole

Pinching a stem is NOT the same thing, IMHO. Although I did read somewhere that the term "pinch" (meaning to steal) came from the practice of surreptitiously pinching stems off desirable plants :)

Most of my customers know that if they just ask(sometimes all they have to do is mention they like it) that I'll give them a little pinch or start of a plant. Lots of customers know that I have plants that I grow just to give to people. I tell them it's from one gardener to another, not really from the garden center. I have people that will bring me a plant. They have seen it somewhere or have it in their gardens and knew that I'd like it, so they bring me a start. I know the good outweighs the bad and we are getting ready to fence in the whole lot. I've had customers tell me about plants getting stolen from their gardens, from cemetaries and one landscaper has replaced plants numerous times in one subdivision entrance because they get stolen every time he plants them.
Terry, that's funny, Bill says the same thing about the plant theives. He wishes a black thumb on them and says "don't worry, the plant will die."

You go Wally!
Cala; have you considered putting up those security motion lights? You know, those lights when you get within distance the lights automatically come on.
Make a string of cans low to the ground so that they make noise if tripped over.
Have wired for sound,so if anyone touches the gate or whatever all kinds of sirens and lights come on. That should scare them away.
Need to have a big picture made up of Wally and post it on your gate with saying 'man eating dog,are you going to be my appetizer or my lunch? "I only eat plant thieves."

I just don't understnd some people why they think they can steal from someone else

In this area, for a time in the 70s and 80s, everyone would welcome spring by hanging out flowering baskets from the eaves and in trees. It was quite cheery. Then plant thieves got into the act, and it now happens all year, even Christmas decorations being stolen. Can you imagine what kind of depraved creature would steal a 7' tall Nativity? Or strip the lights right from your roof top reindeer? Anyone that crazy is dangerous, and too stupid to know normal caution or fear. I have two huge brass baskets, almost 3' across and filigreed, but I no longer hang them because I don't want them to be stolen. People regularly come onto my property and cannibalize my antique T-bird and Lincoln, and I will indeed shoot them if I ever see them, but they are crafty enough to have been doing this for over 12 years and avoiding ever being seen once. There is simply no defense against crazy.

Too bad Wally didn't get part of their backsides. Maybe a pretty pot of poison ivy or something similar would stop them.

Go Wally!!! Super Dog!!!! Too bad he couldn't nip them in the backside. So sorry about the thieves Cala...How in the world can people do that. Give old Wally a hug for me...

Way to go ,Wally! Unfortunately, our 40-pounder would only wag his tail and show them where the best plants are kept!! BTW, this is from Brian, not Troy. And now that he's left the room I can tell you his story...A couple of summers ago, he was walking Beamer to the store and on his way back he passed by the apartment building across the street, and he noticed a juniper bush, you know the kind with the nicely formed & topiaried balls on the end of each branch, in a nursery pot sitting by the apartment building's dumpster. Assuming it was about to be trash by someone who didn't want to take it with them when they moved, he "adopted" it, in broad daylite. The next day, I took Beamer on the same route, and as I walked past that same apartment building, I noticed a bare spot in a bed that looked as if it had been the perfect size for, you guessed it, a nicely formed juniper bush! I laughed the entire 2 more blocks home, and told him of the bare spot. Well, neither of us knowing who to go to, since the building is under lock & key unless you live there, we (cowardly) have hung on to it and it's thriving beautifully (in the BACK yard) We call it our "dumpster bush" and tell EVERYONE about it. That way, should the person who set it by the dumpster hear of this and ever want it back, I will grudgingly hand it over. And send Troy to the nursery that very day to get me another one!!!
P.S. I love the idea of motion lites and strings of cans...We haven't noticed anything missing as of yet in almost 9 years here, but...

We have motion lights, and have contacted someone about sounds that come on by motion.

It's a shame that people are so nasty. Have you thought about maybe hooking up electricity to your GH door that you can turn on and off. It will give them a mild shock and scare the stuffing out of them and maybe then they would stop...just sugestion. I hope they have learned their lesson and will leave your plants alone.

This message was edited Sunday, May 19th 10:05 PM

stealing because you have to have something and can't afford it is not a good thing. but stealing just for the fun of it, and vandalism is unforgivable. Someone "took the angel off a pedestal at the entrance of our small town cemetery.The cemetery operates on donations for maintenance and any other expences involed.what a terrible thing for someone to do .

Several years ago my father and I bought a beautiful potted plant to put on my mothers grave for Mother's Day. The next day my sister went there and it was gone. Some people have no morals and should be caught and punished. Cala, I wish that deputy had caught and arrested them.

Maybe you should build your next house at the nursery. Then you can put motion sensor lights up with something else plugged in that makes noise...when the theif sets off the lights and the source of noise (radio or whatever you may use), you can run outside with your shotgun to greet them. :) Also, line your property there with pyracantha shrubs and listen to them yelp when they try to squeeze through the hedge...hehe Maybe go to the feild and find some tought sticker bushes to plant next to the pyracantha...sorta like a second line of defense. I bet they'd have a good time getting in and out then...lol They'd better bring some king size pruners if they want to walk off with plants then. It's a shame you have to do that or even think about it, but it's the way it is I guess. OOOOO I know.....plant some prickly pear cactus a few feet from the stickers and pyracantha too. When they fall down, they'll get a ton of those tiny cactus spines in their skin. I bet that'll feel good :D

I was laughing just thinking about that!! Maybe I should rip out the creeping phlox and plant the thorniest roses I can find. Maybe a climbing New Dawn, but let it ramble instead of climbing. They have big thorns!! Then I could turn Wally loose on them and hear them yelp as they try to get back out!!
We used to have a nursery on our other property next to our house, not a good idea. I got NO time off, the people would come to the door and want me to open at all hours.