Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Hazel Southam on February 03, 2014, 09:16:11 PM
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Hello everyone
My name's Hazel and I'm a freelance national newspaper journalist. I'm writing a piece this week about snowdrop theft, which just sounds such an appalling thing. Has it happened to any of you? I'm looking for someone who's had snowdrops stolen from their own personal garden. If that's you, I am very sorry. But if you'd feel able to chat about it, I would love to talk to you, simply to raise this issue beyond the keen gardening world and out into the general public. I have no doubt people will be shocked and saddened to hear what goes on.
You can reach me at hazel@hazelsoutham.co.uk.
Many thanks indeed
Hazel Southam
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Hello Hazel - I suppose the theft of snowdrops is topical at the moment with the recent thefts that have been discussed here in the forum but sadly plant theft is more prevalent than any of us might care to think- as has also been mentioned here over time. Orchids and specimen trees and shrubs come to mind as prime "targets". :P
Too many greedy people about - in all spheres and for all "commodities", eh?
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No I haven't , but I'm more and more worried about it happening . I made my snowdrop page a closed group so that not just anyone could see the photos we post .
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I know at least one contributor here who has had snowdrops stolen, but I will leave it to them to come forward if they wish. I was thinking the other day that the strange thing is not that snowdrops have been stolen, after all they are portable and expensive to buy so they make an obvious target for theft. But what is strange is that nobody has been caught in the act, at least not to my knowledge. So either the thief or thieves have just been lucky so far, or they are really quite 'clever'. The other issue is what to do with your stolen snowdrops. It would be quite difficult to sell them without drawing attention to yourself, you can only hoard them secretly - a bit like stolen art treasures in a way.
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Little and large theft - by plant SIZE
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11244.msg292053#msg292053 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11244.msg292053#msg292053)
https://twitter.com/VillaggioV/status/430308402296651777/photo/1 (https://twitter.com/VillaggioV/status/430308402296651777/photo/1)
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As some people know we have suffered the theft of some valuable snowdrops here. CCTV has now been installed to respond to people for whom gardening is about money instead of enjoyment. Regretfully there will be no Open Day in 2014 whilst other security measures are completed. But snowdrop enthusiasts who are known to me are still welcome to contact me and come to enjoy the snowdrops as indeed some have already done.
I have messaged Hazel separately.
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Do people come in to a garden with a shovel and dig up established snowdrops,
or just grab some easily-transported potsful?
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Other than someone catching a bus here and digging up nivalis who was caught (our fault for not having any for sale apparently :-\) we've had no losses but it is something I'm more concerned about as the collection grows, and the to label or not issue, but with most desirable plants being distinctive I think the presumably knowledgeable thief won't need labels anyway.
Some bulbs aren't kept at work, greenhouses and sheds are permanently locked, others are moved elsewhere until we close, I find it very depressing but would be even more so if things were stolen but suspect it's only a matter of time.
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My understanding, Diane, is that in most cases they have been taken from the ground. In the case of the rarer ones, a trowel would probably suffice.
I wonder if we should all pay greater attention to the provenance of our snowdrops? I certainly try to do this. Apart from the issue of stolen snowdrops, and stolen plants in general, there is the issue of fake plants being sold on eBay. Perhaps Hazel would like to widen her article to deal with this also? I could give her the name of someone selling cheap snowdrops as expensive ones on eBay a few years ago so perhaps Hazel could interview him?
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I concur with Alan and to the extent that I always label the snowdrops I plant with their source and keep records because the connections with people are as important as the snowdrops themselves (otherwise there would be no snowdrop book). This will not stop people stealing them who want to - that is simply up to them sadly.
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I have to admit that I have just started labelling with a provenance and date code, the information is stored on the computer and printed in a booklet so I can take it round the garden in case my mind goes blank - again! I was going to use numbered sheeps ear tags but, since the foot and mouth, now they are micro-chipped and very expensive.
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Reading this, I am starting to be glad to live in a region where people generally don't cherish gardens and certainly have no idea about snowdrops or about their value.
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...and my mind did go blank a couple of times this morning when two visitors arrived. One a lurker, hello Bernadette, who asked after Kentgardener and Kentishlass as she was missing their postings.
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Maybe Kentgardener is drifting towards Cyclamen. I spent a lovely morning with him at the Cycsoc show at Wisley in the Autumn........he went away with lots of goodies and packets of seeds :D :D
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I'd rather have no mention of snowdrop thefts in the news papers. My garden is wide open at the front with a 3 foot / 1m fence. They back has a five foot wall / 1.5m-ish. Those are nothing for would be thieves. If only they knew ... and assuming no bad boys are lurking ...
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Maybe Kentgardener is drifting towards Cyclamen. I spent a lovely morning with him at the Cycsoc show at Wisley in the Autumn........he went away with lots of goodies and packets of seeds :D :D
I'm sure I've seen photos of some pretty gorgeous cyclamen flourishing in his garden already, Jo - I think KG is simply afflicted with a rampant plant virus - I expect to hear he's in the Guiness Book of Records any time now for the number and range of things he has squeezed into his garden!
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Disturbing news of a theft from the alpine house at Wisley this weekend :
"Sad news of plant theft from Wisley - 3 special plants stolen from our Alpine Display this weekend." https://twitter.com/RHSWisley/status/430753305812164608
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I emailed 'Kent Gardener' the other day He says that work is very demanding at the moment, leaving him little time to spend on his computer in the evenings and only weekends for the snowdrops. I'm told that 'Kentishlass' also has good reason for not contributing at present.
Edit by Maggi : Kentish Lass has suffered a family bereavement
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Maggi what was taken from Wisley?
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Maggi what was taken from Wisley?
Just says "three plants from the alpine house display"
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Some posts have been removed which mentioned another theft that turned out to be just a rumour -- thank goodness!
M
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Can people not leave alone what doesn't belong to them >:(
Angie :)
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I have put some on a isle that can only be reached by rowingboat if you know where it is ;D
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Gerard
We have an island like that, called Somerset.
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I have seen some fantastic islands in Scotland too, some with the ruine of a castle on it!
To prevent stealing they do patrol now with AK47"s in the forrests in Georgia! That wont happen here, we are to civilized to steal aren't we?
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:
Gerard
We have an island like that, called Somerset.
:o
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Hell all, we are totally disgusted by the recent thefts so much so that I am now going to use only numbers on my specials and only allow friends and small groups to visit it is terrible that this makes you wary and suggests that you trust no-one but that is where we are unfortunately, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Maybe we need to do a strip search? ;D,But only when they are leaving..... ;D ;D ;D
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I am now going to use only numbers on my specials
Back in the 20th Century I visited the UK greenhouse of someone with a huge crocus collection.
Each species seemed to be growing in the bottom of a plastic milk jug so they all fitted really
close together and didn't waste space. Each was labelled with a number. This wasn't to
save the effort of writing out the names, but to thwart thieves.
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I am not sure if it is correct to post this, so if not, please just take it away Maggi.
It is hard to understand that people do not have to patience to wait until they can find a plant the honest and nice way.
Gothenburg Botanical Garden have had problems with valuable plants being stolen. For example Cypripedium. Last year a person that they suspected got caught in act. Former president of a Orchidaceae society...It was on the news and everything, so sadly enough, no rumour.
A famous Swedish Hepatica breeder reported in an article that someone had stolen all his Hepatica breeding material from the alpine house. It is not that many years ago.
A few years ago several gardens reported that plants had been dug up during the yearly meeting of the Swedish gardening society.
Personally I have big difficulties with people digging up red listed plants in nature too...I believe nature is for everybody and for the generations to come. There are other ways to make sure that species stays in cultivation.
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Hell all, we are totally disgusted by the recent thefts so much so that I am now going to use only numbers on my specials and only allow friends and small groups to visit it is terrible that this makes you wary and suggests that you trust no-one but that is where we are unfortunately, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
Perfectly understandable, sad that things have probably got to a point where many nice collections will be shut away to all but a select few, but when years of work can be stolen in minutes I wouldn't blame anyone for doing it, at least you'll know those coming to see them are there for the right reasons.
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All my snowdrops are labelled with numbers only. I'm getting quite good at remembering the numbers, amazingly, as I can't even remember what I went upstairs for... ???
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It's very hard though if you open your garden for charity like we do and visitors who are really interested in the plants do want to know the names. If the result of thieving is to stop people inviting others to their gardens, it will be very sad because gardens do just what Susann says, they keep plants in cultivation and inspire us all.
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Same here Tim, most visitors come to see the drifts of nivalis and really enjoy seeing plants labelled, a number system just wouldn't work here. I don't label all which I'm not sure helps much, they tend to be the very distinctive ones anyway.
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All my snowdrops are labelled with numbers only. I'm getting quite good at remembering the numbers, amazingly, as I can't even remember what I went upstairs for... ???
So have i, already from the start, but now i am reaching the 400 different ones it becomes a bit problematic ;D :o
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If the result of thieving is to stop people inviting others to their gardens, it will be very sad ...
It will also favour the thieves. Anyone who invites people to look round their garden doesn't have anything to hide.
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Maybe we need to do a strip search? ;D,But only when they are leaving..... ;D ;D ;D
Wrong time of year for that kind of thing surely ;D
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It will also favour the thieves. Anyone who invites people to look round their garden doesn't have anything to hide.
It also shows they haven't been doing the stealing ;)
I try to only have plants labelled that I have backed up elsewhere, just in case. But having the plants labelled is necessary for the public. They can go home at the end of the day and say to their friends 'I saw Galanthus' XYZ' and it looked just the same as all the others but the Telegraph said it sold for £££'s, they must be mad' They are right of course.
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Quote from: MR GRUMPY on February 06, 2014, 07:55:44 PM
Maybe we need to do a strip search? ;D,But only when they are leaving..... ;D ;D ;D
Wrong time of year for that kind of thing surely ;D
Quite - just think how long each search would take through all the layers of woolies and fleeces and goretex!!
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;D ;D ;D
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Depends also on the numbers of volunteers who want to do the searching ;D
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Depends also on the numbers of volunteers who want to do the saerching ;D
;D ;D ;D
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There seems to be a romantic streak creeping in, if that's not too much of a pun!
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On the subject of theft, take a look at this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10622965/French-hydrangea-thieves-search-for-the-high-life.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10622965/French-hydrangea-thieves-search-for-the-high-life.html)
(edit by maggi to activate the link)
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;D i've heart of this last week. Need to protect my garden from Hydragea's smokers!!
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I'd rather have no mention of snowdrop thefts in the news papers. My garden is wide open at the front with a 3 foot / 1m fence. They back has a five foot wall / 1.5m-ish. Those are nothing for would be thieves.
I am sceptical about newspaper articles as it seems to me that they are more often designed to sell Copy than help apprehend criminals. An article announcing that thefts happen which, in the same article, reports the staggering amounts that a few snowdrops have fetched on eBay, will only encourage thieves who have not yet considered Snowdrops in their illegal activities.
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Plant theft is really disgusting, another form of instant gratification for people who don't want to be bothered doing the work themselves to get a plant to the point that it's enticing enough to be stolen. My garden is open every year for the Garden Conservancy, which is only one day. The visit is 6 hours long and I now have teams of friends who take the tickets and are stationed throughout the garden to keep an eye out, in this case a number of eyes. Other visits are by groups and are scheduled. For those I have no help, but insist that the group stays together. It does take the heart out of you when after a visit you go through the garden and see a couple of holes where there were plants (many years ago). As far as labels, the deer break most of those anyway
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Hazel Southam has had an article on this subject published today in a UK newpaper ;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2558061/Invasion-snowdrop-snatchers-Security-guards-High-tech-alarms-CCTV-As-single-bulb-fetches-725-astonishing-steps-gardeners-taking-stop-theft-flowers.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2558061/Invasion-snowdrop-snatchers-Security-guards-High-tech-alarms-CCTV-As-single-bulb-fetches-725-astonishing-steps-gardeners-taking-stop-theft-flowers.html)
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I must fix my security light
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I had a case of snowdrop theft today :(.'Saville Gold' had both the flowers pinched and 'Fiona's Gold' also had a flower missing
Can i report blackbirds to the police? ;D
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Not only snowdrops are stolen
http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/goldfinches-stolen-for-sale/Passerine/403587 (http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/goldfinches-stolen-for-sale/Passerine/403587)
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Stop thief!
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;D ;D Pie!
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Tweet from Gavin McNaughton @macplants Feb 24 -
"Sad visit to home of the wild "yellow" snowdrops. Area very recently ransacked & the snowdrops dug up. If you are offered please do not buy!"
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;D ;D Pie!
;D
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"Sad visit to home of the wild "yellow" snowdrops. Area very recently ransacked & the snowdrops dug up. If you are offered please do not buy!"
And yet despite my keen interest in snowdrops I do not know where 'the home of the wild "yellow" snowdrops' is with any greater specificity than Northumberland. Was it a bulk nivalis theft that just happened to get the yellows? In which case they will probably appear at some local market as 'snowdrops in the green'.
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I know no more - but as you say, these few sites of the naturalised yellows are not well known and Gavin at least thinks it must have been a deliberate raid.
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Tweet from Gavin McNaughton @macplants Feb 24 -
"Sad visit to home of the wild "yellow" snowdrops. Area very recently ransacked & the snowdrops dug up. If you are offered please do not buy!"
Sickening.
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Very sad
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... these few sites of the naturalised yellows are not well known and Gavin at least thinks it must have been a deliberate raid.
Yet organised by somebody who knew where to go, of which there cannot be that many people. I agree it is very sad but it also seems strange. I am mystified by what happens to all these stolen snowdrops.
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When I went looking for yellows it took ages to find them but they weren't that common - 8 years ago! Where do the years go
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I have just bought some Galanthus rizehensis after reading all these posts i'm not sure if I should put them outside or not, even though I live in the middle of nowhere in deepest Lincolnshire.
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I know it is upsetting to read of these filthy thefts, js29, but I wouldn't let it put you off enjoying your 'drops in your garden. The chances of a theft from a private, unknown garden are pretty small. It would be dreadful if we all became paranoid about the actions of a few scumbags - they must not win!
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Whilst I agree wholeheartedly with Maggi, I should also point out that most of the stolen snowdrops are rare named cultivars that either sell for large sums of money or are never offered for sale. Galanthus rizehensis, although an excellent snowdrop, falls into neither of those two categories so would probably not be deemed worth stealing.
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Let there be good news also: We had a local garden club visit the garden last Saturday, approximately 40 people, and it was from start to finish a perfectly pleasant experience. Not as much as a flower was touched. Perhaps, these people had not yet been infected by the mania.
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Whilst I agree wholeheartedly with Maggi, I should also point out that most of the stolen snowdrops are rare named cultivars that either sell for large sums of money or are never offered for sale. Galanthus rizehensis, although an excellent snowdrop, falls into neither of those two categories so would probably not be deemed worth stealing.
Alan - My guess is they go to the thief's garden unless we are speaking of masses of narturalized species.
johnw
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Thanks Maggi & Alan for replies, i'll take the risk and plant them. As you say Maggi why let these toe rags spoil my enjoyment of these great little plants.
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Alan - My guess is they go to the thief's garden unless we are speaking of masses of narturalized species.
I'm sure you are right John but every time the thief strikes they risk getting caught. The "reward" of getting a stolen rizehensis, which can be bought quite cheaply anyway, would not be "worth" that risk, or so I would have thought.
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Thanks Alan