to take a few twigs and sprigs from the woods?

[OstentatiousBreastfeeder]

I'm feeling festive, so decided to make a wreath instead of buying one for the front door. I have a woods nearby my house so thought it would be a perfect place to find everything I need for free.

So out I go, thinking ahh lovely, nice morning stroll in the woods with DD - she can nap and I can amble around and pick some nice sprigs of holly and ivy.

About 20 minutes into our foraging a dogwalker saw me snipping some ivy that was hanging down from a tree. I smiled and said good morning, as you do. She frowned, then strode over to me and proceeded to tell me off for stealing cuttings from the woods, which is council property, before stomping off with her dog and muttering loudly. She seemed really irate and was quite rude even though I told her I was only taking what I intended to use

I was under the impression it was perfectly legal to take things home from the woods with you, bar some wildflowers which I believe have some sort of protection. I didn't think a bit of holly and ivy fell under this category.

WIBU?

(the wreath looks very pretty btw!)

[HesterShaw]

Is he the guy with the plait?

[Buttercupsanddaisys]

Yep, move over Kirsty, make room for Bob Flowerdew, he's coming along right behind with his Felco secateurs and placcy bags at the ready...

[HesterShaw]

And I did a lovely thing with it which I've never thought of before - cut sprays of it and put them in vases of water to stop them drying out and scattering icing sugar over the leaves to look like snow. In a warm room the sugar is slightly sticky and sticks to the leaves. Move over Kirsty...

[HesterShaw]

I have a holly tree in my garden. With berries.

I am the envy of everyone.

[RiverTam]

if you're in SE London you're welcome to come and take as much as your like from our garden . DH quite likes it, the loon, but he Is Wrong.

You have inspired me to decorate our house with some.

[Pootles2010]

Ivy's fine i'd say, but Holly is very different as it's endangered in the wild I believe.

[Fallingovercliffs]

She should have butted out. You were snipping a bit of ivy from a tree, the week before Christmas, not galvanising a class full of kids to strip the wood bare of beautiful wildflowers.

[TheChandler]

Its not theft, a de minimus rule applies (in other words, common sense - if you aren't doing it as part of a business but just take what you need for personal use), then its fine. A good rule is taking no more than you can carry.

Busybody woman ought to be reported herself for harassing you...

[Namechangeyetagaintohide]

Sorry deck bit nope. You aren't doing anything illegal.

[MarchEliza]

I actually always assumed that this was a bit naughty (a bit like picking wild flowers) but I have been know to surreptitiously pinch a bit of ivy and holly that grows like topsey in the woods near me.

Glad to read that I might not have been doing anything so bad after all!

[DeckTheHoopsWithBoughsOfHolly]

Oh no! I'm a hardened criminal! Not only do I take cuttings to make wreaths, but I also pick blackberries and mushrooms and collect chestnuts too.

Should I hand myself in or go on the run?

[Namechangeyetagaintohide]

Indeed ??

[OstentatiousBreastfeeder]

Ah-ha! So it's legal.

I can now stop feeling guilty about it

[HesterShaw]

There you are OP. You're doing the world a favour.

Ignore the nasty walking lady :o

[QuinnTwinny]

You are doing the world a favour. Ivy is a bloody menace. Spent thousands having our back wall repaired because the people on the other side never maintained their ivy and it pushed through and destroyed it.

[Namechangeyetagaintohide]

It's not the same as taking planted flowers from roundabouts. That is illegal.

[Namechangeyetagaintohide]

doesn't appear to be illegal

[Hairtodaygonetomorrow]

I don't think it is at all the same as paid for and deliberately planted flowers being removed. Ivy is plentiful, free and if in the woods, it won't make any difference if removed. I also think it's fine to pick blackberries in the woods, even wild flowers such as daisies if in a huge meadow and it's a couple.

[NoisyOyster]

Bah humbug to the other woman op, every year I go to my local woods armed with secateurs and a bag; haven't noticed any reduction in the plants over the last decade

[MehsMum]

PS Its more like taking dandelions from roundabouts

[MehsMum]

Ivy is a weed, really: it can completely overwhelm trees and is very hard to get rid of (I'm bitter, I have spent hours of my life up a ladder removing ivy from tiles and gutters).

I think you met a very odd dog walker. I wouldn't take ivy from a park in a town (because, as Melanie said, what if everyone did it?) But a large wood with acres of ivy? I really wouldn't worry. Enjoy your wreath (I made one too).

[OstentatiousBreastfeeder]

People take flowers from roundabouts?!

Is it the same thing, really? Nobody's deliberately bought and planted the ivy, it just grows, and the bit I lopped off will grow back within a couple of weeks probably.

[CheeseBuster]

It's the same as taking flowers from roundabouts isn't it really?

[BadgersInTheSlurryLagoon]

Although there are some protected species that you may not pick: naturenet.net/law/sched8.html

[HesterShaw]

Oh come on. IVY? It's not like she was digging up wild orchids.

One of our Christmas treats was always a holly expedition OP. I have no idea if it is illegal.