CF Stole my hedge

Dear lord. How can folks get so agitated about some sprigs of holly during the season of Goodwill?
Perhaps the Wassail Cup should be shared around once more, to help good cheer!

She is stealing. I really hate when folk do this - as well as taking cuttings from all the trees/ bushes in parks and nature reserves. Generally rule for parks/ public open spaces is if it is on the floor you can forage but you can’t be taking your loppers and hacking off all the Holly and ivy otherwise there will be none left!
plus as she is operating a commercial business by selling the wreaths it is actually illegal to forage on nature reserves and then sell the products without permission from natural England and the landowner. OP if you do find her details - see if the common and woodland are designated as SSSI, ancient woodland or local nature reserve (Google magic maps and this will show you) and then dob her in to the landowner and natural England - they probably can’t do anything now as you don’t have photos of her taking the vegetation from the common/ woodland but they probably will scare her with a warning letter.
for your own bush maybe the only thing you can do is put up a sign stating no foraging and that there is a camera (even if there isn’t) - far from ideal though.

I'm sorry - she dug her heels in even further and refused to give you back your holly??

If I had noticed her cutting holly from a plant that was clearly in my garden, I would have taken out my mobile phone and started recording her and her antics. Then depending on how she dealt with the situation, it would have gone straight up to social media or straight to the local police!

I'd still contact the police (on 101) and let them know who did it and explain that although you've got your cuttings back you thought it better be recorded in case someone else has plants stolen.

I maybe live somewhere less crime ridden than London but we had an issue with milk bottles being stolen. Neighbours reported it to the police and when the perpetrator was caught it turned out he had committed several crimes previously and since the milk was the third he ended up in prison. So even though it may seem minor to the CF wreath baker others on here the police will act on it.

Looks like you’re going to have to make your own wreath. Would be a pity to waste it. Wonder if there are any nearby courses so that you can learn how?

<<takes a delighted bow>>

Lordy me, the dull squad are busy today

Which is also illegal

OP, are you sure she just hasn’t taken the best bits and returned what she doesn’t want?

😂

@ANonEMouseYouSir i have no idea why that word popped into my head. I’ve not used it for at least 30 years. Seemed apt though 😬

I'm going to question whether dumping some holly on a person's drive constitutes "fly tipping"?

Anyone who uses the fantastic word "tomfoolery" needs a quote. Just love that word.

@12FreeRangeEggs so you can get them done for thieving AND flytipping now 😁! Cheeker beggers.

Sounds like you might have ended up with more holly than you started with?

Result!

Ever thought of running a wreath making workshop from your kitchen? 😁
I'd come!

She’s a CF to take foliage for a commercial business.

For personal use it’s much more a grey area and foraging rules may apply - ie she can’t come after you’ve said no, but she didn’t necessarily have to ask permission before she took some from your hedge. It depends whether “planted deliberately” applies, as a lenient view is often taken when it comes to hedgerows etc while picking your flowers from a flower bed would be illegal.

Either way, anyone wanting to ring the police over a sack of holly is in need of a nice strong cup of tea and a lie down. We had to wait three days for a car theft.

The problem is that if everyone who walks by takes just one sprig there won't be any left for the person who actually owns it!

So fly tippers as well as thieves.

For some holly clippings left on your drive?
My neighbours had two cars stolen from their drive and it took a week for police to follow it up.

I'm so pleased you've got it back but I was going to suggest you going to here "business" and going mental about it being your holly.

Massive holly tree in the field ( public council owned) and we took a little to help out wreath making brownies, it looked a little lopsided at the bottom, but has since grown back.

It is a giant tree to be honest..Honestly.
And does look lovely when you walk past it many years later.

I felt a bit guilty, although other locals regularly take the willow to basket weave, so no one objects.

But who would steal from a garden ??

But people do.

My sister has a walled garden, with a small apple orchard of very old established trees.
She does work away a lot, but spends a lot of time with her family each year, either picking the fruit, or picking the fallen fruit. She cooks with it, makes wine, and gives lots away.
On one return home, every apple from every tree was missing, including the fallen apples.

People had broken in to the garden, it’s walled with locked gates, and stolen the lot !!!

There is no need to call 999. 101 would be adequate but of course I'd report it.