Snowdrop theft

[RichardW]

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.

[annew]

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...

[Tim Ingram]

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.

[RichardW]

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.

[Gerard Oud]

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

[Alan_b]

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.   

[Jo]

Maybe we need to do a strip search? ,But only when they are leaving.....

Wrong time of year for that kind of thing surely   

[Jo]

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.

[Maggi Young]

Quote from: MR GRUMPY on February 06, 2014, 07:55:44 PM

   Maybe we need to do a strip search? ,But only when they are leaving.....

            Wrong time of year for that kind of thing surely   

Quite - just think how long each search would take through all the layers of woolies and fleeces and goretex!!

[Jo]

 

[Gerard Oud]

Depends also on the numbers of volunteers who want to do the searching

[MR GRUMPY]

Depends also on the numbers of volunteers who want to do the saerching

 

[Tim Ingram]

There seems to be a romantic streak creeping in, if that's not too much of a pun!

[johnralphcarpenter]

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

(edit by maggi to activate the link)

[Yann]

  i've heart of this last week. Need to protect my garden from Hydragea's smokers!!