Picking flowers

[Smartieskid]

Left work for a walk around the village during a lunch break brought and ice cream and while walking round to the church saw a lady with a huge purple flower like a fluffy dandelion but huge and purple on looking out for them the only ones where in the church felt like saying something but she was with a group of people aibu to think its inconsiderate to pick flowers especially from a church

[TamaraHiddlestoned]

Isn't it theft?

[Nocabbageinmyeye]

Yanbu I hate this, we see it a lot where I live, the council have done a lovely job of filling the roundabouts and approaching grass verges with daffodils and they look beautiful, it gives me the rage to see people out picking them, they are cheap - but them!! Bulbs are even cheaper - plant them yourself you selfish twat

[Bragadocia]

This annoys me. I told off some women on Tooting common a few years ago, who had armfuls of daffodils. They were bewildered that I reprimanded them - they didn't seem to realise that you can't just pick flowers that have been planted in public spaces. Also a few weeks ago, watching a mum bashing a tree full of blossom so that it shed over her kids - lovely for the children to feel like they are in a floral snow globe, but really selfish.

[HolesInTheFloor]

It depends what kind of flowers they are. I always pick dandelions on the way he from school drop off to give to the rabbits, I can't see anyone objecting to that. I also let ds pick daisies and buttercups from the playing field. Anything that's been specifically planted to look nice I think is really cheeky and inconsiderate. We have lovely bluebell woods near our house and wouldn't pick thise but always suprised by how many people I see carrying armfuls back to their car.

[CruCru]

The flowers the OP refers to are alliums, I think. This would really annoy me - alliums are great for bees during the June gap (after the spring blossom has gone and before the summer flowers are really going).

[whois]

Yes, its 100% theft.

The shoudl grow their own or buy some. Thieving low life!

[SingingSamosa]

If it's from private land then I believe it's theft. I seem to recall that's it's illegal to pick wild flowers too but that might have just been what my grandparents told me when I was little to stop me picking them!

[cjt110]

What if they are on a grass verge on a roadside - ie there's a curb, grassverge with a few flowers, pavement then a wall and garden and house etc. I have seen some very pretty tulips - just the odd one or two on this grass verge and did wonder if someone were to pick them would it be frowned upon? It doesn't appear to be a verge that belongs to someone, apart from say the local council but the flowers are just a random few and not part of a display that the council might plant.

[NellyMelly]

I once had to stop a someone from cutting roses from my front garden! She was all organised for a collection of my flowers. She just strolled right in and was actually in my garden area. The cheek of people is astounding

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

Perhaps she asked someone who was at the church at the time, verger or someone, for permission? {optimistic}

[CruCru]

My understanding is that it is legal to pick wild flowers but a few rare ones are protected. However, wild flowers tend to wilt almost as soon as they are picked so are a fairly pointless cut flower.

[Penfold007]

Fluffy headed alliums are cultivated flowers and church graveyards are the property of the church, though open to the public they are not public spaces. The woman shouldn't have been picking the flowers without permission (maybe she did have permission)

[Smartieskid]

There was no church person around I don't think and she was laughing going look what I picked and getting her friends to blow it like a dandelion

[MachiKoro]

Nelly- someone takes my roses, every time. They're huge gorgeous old tea roses, and once they've bloomed someone comes and snips them whenever I'm at work, utter fuckers.

[Querty12345]

Why is it selfish to shake the blossom? Is it illegal?

[MeridianB]

Spotted a boy aged around 5 picking daffs in a park during an Easter Fair and told his big sister with him (aged about 8) that they shouldn't be picking these flowers. Blank looks followed by sister picking some and the pair presenting a bunch to their Dad who said...nothing.

The children may not know better but the parents are the idiots.

Saw three young girls (around 7-8) picking roses from someone's front garden about a week ago and told them off. They ran away. No sign of any parents anywhere.

Holes I don't think I would be able to hold back if I saw people clutching armfuls of bluebells!

[SilverDragonfly1]

E. Nesbit has a perfect rhyme for this situation.

'I must not pick the public flowers,
They are not 'mine' but they are 'ours'.'

Whether you'd want to repeat that to an adult I'm not sure ;)