Flower girl depleting my bush

[TeaGinandFags]

I feel that I'm being mean but I also want her to stop.

My lovely neighbour has an adorable little girl who's been picking roses off my bush for her teacher. She does this every day.

The bush is a mature Alida Lovett, so clusters of pale pink fragrant single layer flowers. It is a large plant and smells and looks bloody amazing.

While I would never bedrudge a bloom or two to others, especially a long suffering educator, I think that every day is a bit much.

YABU don't be so stingy. She's only small and her teacher deserves appreciation

YANBU once or twice is fine, but not all the time. Offer the school some cuttings instead.

Neither of the options. Just tell your neighbour to stop her child stealing your flowers. The flowers are there to be looked at, not taken.

Absolutely not acceptable!
She's stealing, for starters.
And what does the teacher do with the blooms anyway? They die so quickly.
You need to tell her to stop taking your flowers.

Tell her she needs to leave the flowers for the bees and the butterflies otherwise there will be no new flowers next year.
If she keeps on doing it have a word with her mother.

Have a word with mum tell her that it is not acceptable to allow her daughter to keep pulling flowers off your Bush no matter who they are for! Let's face it the teacher will look, say ahh thank you and throw it on the desk while the petals wilt away.

I'd speak to your neighbour 100% - I'm surprised she hasn't already told her child you can't just pick flowers from peoples gardens!

Is she doing it unaided? You will usually need scissors to pick roses.
In any case, I’d tell her mother very firmly that once was allowed, but it’s now got to stop.

Wow. Her parents need to teach her that you can't pick plants from someone else's garden. That's stealing. I suggest you speak to her parents and ask that she picks flowers from their own garden for the teacher from now on.

Wtf is the mum doing letting her pick your fathers? Just tell them to stop

Just tell her to stop picking them. If she wants her daughter to take in flowers for her teachers she needs to grown them or buy them herself.

Yanbu!! I’d have strong words.

Definitely tell the parent to stop their child doing this.

How are they doing this, are they getting in to your front garden?

How do you know they're fur her teacher? Have you discussed it with her? Dies she think you don't mind,? It must take a bit of effort to break the stems if she doesn't use scissors. How old is she? Does her parent walk her to school?

Yes, have words, to stop plucking your bush…

Tell her mother to stop allowing it

Could be the dad allowing it!

Yabu. Your rose bush is making more people happy than just you. And the roses will die eventually anyway.

She's old enough to know she can't just help herself to anything pretty that takes her fancy. Have a word with her mum.

You’re unreasonable not to have already told the parent to stop the child!

How old is the little girl?

My two year old has a penchant to try and pick flowers that he likes as we walk past, but I'm teaching him that we can't pick other people's flowers...

If she's got a teacher, I'm guessing she's a lot older? In which case I'd step out and tell her nicely that if she picks all the flowers, there will be no birds and bees etc. If that doesn't work, I'd talk to her mum.

This, but it's a lovely idea to offer a cutting.

I assume she asked the first time?

Perhaps they have taken that as an open invite, which is now getting abused.

Of course you have to have a word if you want it to stop.

It's sweet that the little girl wants to do something nice for her teacher, but, while picking wild flowers is generally okay, picking flowers out of another person's garden is not and is actually theft.

If you don't mind her taking the occasional flower to her teacher then speak with the parents and the little girl and establish an arrangement where they come and ask if the child can have a flower (not necessarily your roses though - cultivating beautiful roses isn't easy and there is a reason roses aren't cheap!) for her teacher, but it should be on occasion - not all the time and not without asking first.

Obviously if you don't want the child to have any flowers at any time, that is fine too, and in that case just tell the parents that it's really not okay and that they need to stop the child from taking anything from your garden.

@poolemoney
True, any parent could be allowing it

Tell the kid that you need some flowers left for yourself and to keep the garden pretty.
Suggest that if her parents buy her a large pot or dig a spot in their garden then you will give her her own cutting from the much loved plant.
Give the cutting and instructions on it's care.

while picking wild flowers is generally okay

It's not!! 'Take only photos/memories, leave only footprints'.

Kids should be taught not to pick any flowers or plants, whether wild or cultivated, without specific permission.

Apart from maybe depleting wild species, and reducing other peoples enjoyment looking at them, some plants are contact irritants or worse.