Indonesian Teak Furniture Manufacturers
John Adney of Marion, Iowa was not too surprised to look out his window one evening to see a very tall banana tree precipitously departing his garden.
"I'd noticed that a few perennials were missing from my border. I knew I couldn't blame deer, squirrels or rabbits, so assumed it was some kind of human skunk. I kept watch. One evening, just after dark, this senior thief stopped at my garden (it was along a sidewalk in front of the house), looked all directions to see if anyone was looking and started to pull an 8-foot-tall banana tree out of the ground (the tree summered in our Iowa garden). I ran out of the house just as she was pushing the tree into her car. She got in and sped away."
Gadney was lucky enough to get her license number and have the woman apprehended - but his neighbors, who had also been victims of garden theft, were not so fortunate, since the burglaries could not be traced directly to the Great Banana Tree Thief.
Garden theft is not something peculiar to Iowa. Since gardening has become one of the great national pastimes, garden theft has also been on the rise. It's not bad enough that we gardeners must guard against theft by slugs, chipmunks, groundhogs and raccoons - now we have to worry about 2-footed marauders!
Public and Private Garden Thefts
Plants disappear from both public and private gardens with alarming frequency. A volunteer at the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens says the problem there is severe.
"Whenever we acquire a new specimen (and we've really been active recently), it's necessary to actually CHAIN the plant to the ground, under the mulch.That is, spikes are driven in around the plant, chains and locks are put in place, and mulch is put over top. It became obvious that we needed to resort to extreme measures when some a**hole stole an 8 foot tall Stewartia. Yep, you read that right. Then Japanese Maples were yanked out. The list goes on. "
Cornell Plantations in Ithaca, New York reported the theft of a dozen large yuccas and six rhododendrons - two of which were irreplaceable.
One town reports a rash of thefts - all ferns. Another has high casualties for container gardens. Trees are stolen from new subdivisions almost before the landscapers' trucks are gone. I've read reports of daylily hybridizers having valuable new introductions stolen right out of the field.
This last theft is what really shocked me - because only a true gardener, a real daylily enthusiast, would know a valuable introduction from another, low-priced plant.
So much for gardeners being kinder, gentler people.
Garden ornaments also targeted
Theft is not limited solely to plants. In March, New Orleans' local papers reported major theft problems in the city's cemeteries - which, it seems, are a fine source of garden statuary. Similarly, the BBC reports a rash of phone calls from people whose garden ornaments have been stolen. Not all of it is fine statuary there - the top favorite target of thieves is the lowly garden gnome. However, the traffic in high-ticket items is also a problem.
In March, a South Carolina cemetery lost over 60 bronze vases valued at over $6000. Charleston's historic district was also hit hard, with bronze and lead sculptures disappearing at a disastrous rate. A man suspected of being a serial thief was arrested when he tried to resell one. Salvo Web reports a number of valuable items that have gone missing in the past few months.
Do we have to put electric fences around our homes? Will our recreational pleasure turn into paranoia if this keeps up?
What can we do?
We think of insuring our house and its contents - but how often do we think of protection for our plants and garden decor - or our tools, which are also a target for light fingers? Perhaps it won't help when un-neighborly people pick all our lilacs, but what about if someone digs up a rare shrub, or a costly perennial? Or if they steal the lawn tractor or all your hand tools. Hand tools individually may not cost that much - but they do add up! Check your insurance policy and act accordingly.
Photograph all rare or valuable plants you may have. But even if we have no rarities, it does cost a bundle to put most gardens together. Get it on film! That way you'll have pictorial evidence if anything is lost.
Tools and garden equipment should be put away each evening in some place that can be locked. As for garden ornaments - it apparently doesn't help that they be so heavy that they don't lift easily. If there is a market for it - even in the thief's own yard - it is likely to make an unceremonious exit.
You might try erecting a prickly border around your yard, and then installing a lockable gate. Thefts in my own garden went down considerably when I planted thorny old garden roses across the back property line. Or you can try chains and padlocks, such as those the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens use. You may also want to consider sensor lighting - and maybe a burglar alarm for your outbuildings and sheds. Keep an inventory of your outdoor investments to assist with insurance.
Fencing and enclosing valuable plants and ornaments is the best solution. Oddly enough, a flimsy fence, such as a trellis (preferably with thorny vines growing up it) is preferable to a sturdy fence, as it is almost impossible to climb. For the same reason, gates of wrought iron or lattice - both tough to scale - should be used - and locked.
Use gravel for paths that approach the garden. Its crunch may alert you to visitors - be they friend or foe. And, of course, a noisy dog is always helpful.
If you must use valuable containers for plants, secure them. Arrange them in groups and use bolts through the drainage holes to secure them all to a large board or sheet of plywood. Spread mulch to disguise it. The board, plus dirt-filled pots, will be too heavy for your average burglar.
Or you could do what one frustrated homeowner did - add a little poison ivy to the container planting. (Use this idea VERY carefully.)
Be a wise consumer. When you see plants or garden ornaments for sale at prices too good to be true - they probably are.
Perhaps you are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood where gardens are still safe havens. If so, consider yourself lucky but don't get too complacent. Perhaps you don't want to build a fortress around your yard - but you may still want to keep an eye out.
I can't stop people from stealing. I can't protect your yards, or even my own. But I can at least warn you that theft in the garden seems to grow as gardening grows in popularity. Decide for yourself exactly how much you want to do to protect yourself.
It's a crying shame that crime has invaded this area of our lives that promised us so much serenity and joy.
Indonesian Teak Furniture Manufacturers
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