CF Stole my hedge

[12FreeRangeEggs]

We live in a naice part of London which thinks it’s the countryside but is actually just a green suburb. To the side and front of my property is our hedge. It’s a mix hedge; Holly, Ivy and other trees. Our Holly has been very good this autumn and we have lots of red berries. I make a door wreath for my front door each Christmas, and I usually forage from my own hedge to make my wreath. So far this year I haven’t gotten around to it but was hoping to make my wreath this weekend.

Well, I returned this afternoon and there was a lady stood on my driveway with a large blue IKEA bag in one hand and a pair of pruners in the other, helping herself to my holly.

I politely challenged her, but she didn’t seem to think that she was doing anything wrong helping herself to my Holly in my hedge. Infact when I protested that I was going to make my own wreath with my own Holly she told me she had a business making Christmas wreaths and usually only made 10 a season despite huge demand because she simply doesn’t have the time but was willing to make a professional wreath for me using my own Holly and charge me £85. I, less politely this time, declined her offer for a professional wreath and asked for my Holly back. She refused and accused me of being bitter and uncharitable.

There are plenty of green leafy london suburbs.

You see, you can pay attention when you want to. But seriously, I'd crack on with the wreaths whilst you can still flog them as I suspect the game is up now 😬

Oh my goodness! Fantastic advice 😸
You're definitely on my wavelength. Cheers!
Discount for you, my friend! 😜!.

You're very sweet, I'm already sorted with a non pilfered wreath but thanks all the same.

❤🌲😘

The CF appears to have taken rather more than a few sprigs.

I live in north London. A couple of years ago someone stole 3 newly planted shrubs out of my garden. A neighbour actually had a tree stolen out of his garden. Mind you, cars are stolen off people's drives every night of the week here. Then when you consider the shop lifting and pick pocketing it is like the wild west.

Too true. An IKEA bag full, and when they returned the holly, they didn't even donate the bag.
That's really a step too far.

During lockdown, someone in my hometown had an established shrub dug up from their front garden.

The council had every single bedding plant removed from a local park.

Prior to lockdown I had several potted plants removed from my front garden. I now make sure to weight any pots down and to have my surname and postcode inscribed on the bottom and inside of my pots. Even so, my husband got back to our house one Sunday evening to see two young men walking one of my weighted planters down the garden path between them. They dropped the planter and ran.

I've had to mark the name and memorial numbers on vase inserts at the local Garden of Remembrance. For last Christmas, I placed a couple of (bought) weighted pots of holly and berries in the memorial stones for my parents and my husband. They walked.

@WearyAuldWumman I'm sorry to hear that about your loved ones' memorials. 💐That's stooping to a whole new level.

Thank you.

This is horrible, I'm so sorry.

Maybe I'm very naive but I did wonder if those stealing fruit are actually hungry in COL

Thank you.

I bet she's on here and 💩 herself at your update 🤣

She could be in hampstead?

Not quite the point but saw someone asking on FB earlier where they could go on a walk and cut some holly. Maybe just go to any florist? Instead of going off to ransack nature and take the berries from the birds.

If everyone just went out to grab what they wanted from paths and hedgerows, there'd be little left.

I’m staggered at the people who would be fine with this. Yes if it was one or two bits accessible from the pavement but not with her actually on the drive.

Usually people like her commit other crimes, this could be tip
the iceberg. It would simply not occur to any law abiding person to go
onto
a private property to take something away , even plants.
Then sell the stolen goods to
others , who have no clue, for cash.
Would you want a wreath on your door made from
stolen plants ?
Doubt tax will be paid on her business.
They will do other things like that in their life , am
now guessing involving similar actions of small scale fraud/benefit fraud etc.
100% would I report this, 101 or speak to PCO because oftem small things like this lead to
the discovery of more.
This could well be the tip of an iceberg.
Only worry for OP is revenge e.g the dropped holly on drive/knowing where OP lives
in a don't mess with us manner.

Oh i don't know, if I lived there I definitely persuade myself i lived in the countryside! 😉

That's quite the leap.

Name and shame — 😳 idve run her over