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.

Thing is that’s great for you, if you don’t mind someone taking your plants without permission cool.

The op clearly told the women she doesn’t want her to take it. Frankly she shouldn’t have even been trying to take away since it doesn’t belong to her.

The second op told her no she became a thief as she’s then taken it without permission she’s been asked for it back and refused.

She deserves for her customers to know she’s a common thief.

Dulwich? Hampstead Garden Suburb? Ham?

All definitely in London.

Do you have a local community FB page ?
pop something on there, along the lines of, anyone else had a woman stealing cuttings from their property?
apparently she makes and sells wreaths and she stole from me today.
cheeky cow

She must be the winter twin of the infamous gooseberry bush thief, a legendary story on Mumsnet Classics.

Cf indeed

Is that relevant?

I wouldn't mind people cutting a few sprigs for decoration for personal use but for a business that's really cheeky.
I have to confess I've nabbed the odd rosemary sprig from one of the houses round me that has an insane sized bush that overhangs the road a lot. But never would I package it up into bags and sell it on!

I do hope you are jesting

We need to see a picture of the hedge. Before and after the misappropriation.

I am falling around in stitches of laughter at the amount of dander that's up in this thread over a few branches of holly. I'm sure there's tons left for OP. I won't believe there isn't unless I see a pic of the damage, then I shall be chastened into silence.

There are so many more things to get mad about. This ain't one of them.

All you lot are short of doing is calling for a firing squad. Typical self righteous mumsnetters. So over the top with reactions.

Similar has happened to me - but not a hedge, completely in our garden. And not London, but outskirts of a naice village. And they'd cut loads of it (which I did make them leave).
People are just fucking wierd.

Can you post to your local facebook
page?

Blimey. Why does she need to steal holly from YOUR hedge? Walk along any country lane and the hedgerows are full of it. Additionally using holly to make a wreath is bloody painful hard work, she'd be better off with other evergreens!

My Holly has lots of berries, apparently this autumn hasn’t been great for holly berries in our area.

Why not go to the countryside? Because this is London and you can catch a tube to our neighborhood to forage rather than a trip out into the actual countryside.

Put a sign by it saying "Holly for sale £95 a sprig"

😂

Wimbledon or Barnes would also fit the bill, due to references to a 'common'...

Haven’t found her as a local wreath maker yet. It is likely she isn’t local and took a tube ride over to us to forage.

@12FreeRangeEggs FUCK! couldnt get any cheekier than that!!! hope you emptied her ikea bag and sent her on her way!!!! and who the hell pays 85 for a wreath anyway??? my wreaths cost 15 and I know for a fact that all the money received from all the wreaths is sent charity!!!

Somebody did this to the holly bush at the end of our front garden, but they left it in a sort of topiary cone. It was a very neat job, but it's part of a mixed hedge so he did look out of place next to his less pampered hedge-mates for a long time.

What gives these cheeky fuckers the idea that holly's a communal plant?!

The absolute cheek - I'd be raging too Op & would have wrestled the ikea bag out of her hand!

My holly tree is always completely bare of berries by this time of year thanks to the local pigeons and blackbirds. They don't even haven't decency to wait till it's actually winter before they start eating them all.

I would have forcibly taken the bag and my holly - and given her the IKEA bag back. Did you discover her business page? I'd bombard with reviews saying she stole the raw materials from your garden!

I am enraged for you OP!

Isn't it illegal to forage from common land if for commercial purposes?

This isn’t just theft, this is also vandalism is it not?

And how is preventing someone from making a profit from YOUR property being uncharitable?

Are all her proceeds going to the homeless??