Kid keeps picking flowers from garden bushes - shall I say something?

[Primmyhill]

The last few days a girl, about 7 years old, and her mum have stopped outside my house, presumably on the walk back from school, and have reached over the railings and picked some flowers from some of my hedges. Today she must have picked about 10 and then dropped them in the street while walking off. Am I being petty to be p’eed off? I don’t want to seem like an ogre and upset a child if it keeps happening, but surely an adult should be teaching the child that this is someone’s property and not encourage it. AIBU?

Proper snorted at the comment about the plaits

I'd probably put up a sign/note because I'm a coward who hates awkwardness. But then I'd worry that it might attract the attention of people who would pick yet more flowers out of spite.

Definitely reasonable to say something!

I do tend to read the OP. Do you?

Yes you can pick wild flowers

Yes, it would annoy me.

Also, so what if it is "just" blossom? Blossom on my boundary will eventually become fruit! Either edible fruit for me, or for birds.

Yes, say something. My 4 yo would 100% do this if I let her, but she knows that anything in a garden or that looks “planted” and not just growing (incl bulbs) are off limits.

Winter honeysuckle, witch hazel, Corylopsis, Flowering currant, Camellia, Viburnum .....

I was replying to the daffodil, crocus etc post . I've never seen a daffodil bush.

Lots in my garden and I'm in UK. Love the snowdrops and daffodils out at the moment and got blossom on the apple and peach tree....

Op I'd mention it as been more than once.

I’d be straight out there telling - not asking - them to stop nicking my flowers!

You were challenging the idea that there were any bushes with flowers out in the UK, someone suggested a number of bulbs, you pointed out they weren't bushes, I (and others) gave you a list of bushes which bear flowers at this time of year.

So yes, there are indeed bushes bearing flowers at this time of year in the UK.

I always tell my dc not to pluck even leaves off bushes because if it's not yours then you don't take it and that's someone's garden. I'd be saying something or hiding behind the bush and leaping out at them telling them to stop stealing my flowers😁

If you dont want to confront them, or won't be in during their next stealing episode, put up signs- 'SMILE- You are being filmed 🙂'
Get a sprinkler to turn on at the same time in their direction.

I was not. I was challenging the daffodil post. There's no need to go all Monty Don about it.

camellia
magnolia

I wouldn't even puck dandelions in flower. They're an important food source for bees.
Wild flowers are actually more likely to be an improvement part of the ecosystem so please don't let your children pick them.

I'd put a sign out
'Please do not pick the flowers'

A better sign 'Please do not pick MY flowers' 😃

Ahhhh, happy memories...

Some woman came into our shared garden and picked a whole bunch of flowers , more than once... She was confronted by a neighbour. Woman got mouthy and was saying it was "not a problem" so neighbour picked up the woman's shopping bag and refused to give it back!

Never came back to nick flowers again.

It absolutely does not matter what type of flower kid is picking, it’s stealing and damaging OP property.

anyway I’m going guess it’s primroses

I once watched a family emerge from a park holding big bunches of flowers they had clearly just picked from the park beds. They stopped outside the park, dropped all the flowers on the pavement, and walked away.

Forget the politeness, just say "Don't pick my flowers"

Rude and mum should say something

Oh I hate this. My kids love picking flowers and I'm quite strict that they're only allowed a few dandelions and daisies, absolutely never any plants that someone has grown, even if they're overhanging.
Every single time they go out with Mil in the summer they come back with a rose or camellia or something. They just can't see how disrespectful that is.