So sad. Someone is picking my daffodils :(

[Plantjungle]

Hello,

i just really needed to vent about this somewhere. I’ve told a couple of friends but really I know people have bigger life problems going on so I don’t want to go on about it… But I thought some like-minded gardeners may understand.

i have been gardening in my block’s communal garden. On the weekend I was out mulching some of the beds and I kept seeing that the patches of daffodils had a cut or broken off stem right at the bottom. I had benefit of doubt at first. Maybe they had broken off in the wind. Or gone over and someone had tidied them up?

On Sunday afternoon there was still one patch in perfect bloom, but by the morning they had also been cut and taken.

I’ve put a little wooden stick with ‘please do not pick’ written on it, and stuck it in final patch of daffs that are just in bud.

I’m so sad, and this morning when I left my flat I felt like I wanted to cry, and then I felt rage! And the thing is I’ve started gardening to benefit my mental health. It’s something that I’m passionate about. I also want to cheer the place up for other residents.

I just really needed to write this out and hopefully get a bit of encouragement to carry on…

It was the continuing to single out your bike once the basket was removed that set off the alarm bells for me. I hope it was just thoughtless teenagers rather than someone malicious. Teenagers wouldn’t be bothered about daffodils, or cutting them so cleanly so the two maybe aren’t connected! Sorry this is happening to you.

pic below, at first was bemused then, seriously!

This is so wrong op and you have every reason to be upset. What the heck is going on that anyone thinks this is ok?

This reminded me of the time someone stole a planter from my front garden. I don’t live there anymore. It was a big front garden and 2 of my rooms looked out onto the front garden. The thief had to open my gate walk down many steps and walk along my front path, past one of the windows.
I never found out who stole it but I had planted it up myself.
Infuriating it is. Do these thieves want us to concrete over everything?

At the front of my house, I have a grass bank and years ago I planted snowdrops. Over the years they have naturalised and have spread along my front verge. People walk past and stop to admire them every spring. Last week I happened to be looking out of the window (it was dark) and I saw a women with a trowel and a torch and 3 carrier bags helping herself. You can imagine how the conversation went

Please tell us she didnt get away with it.
On the verge across the road from us we planted daffodils they came up every year but over the years they have disappeared under the hedgerow so we have planted over 50 more bulbs. In too late for this year but looking forward to next years show.

That is a magnificent lupin!!

I’m new to gardening but I have some Lupins grown from seed on my windowsill that I plan to plant out soon. I just need to get the hang of hardening them off.

@maggiesleappshe certainly did not. I asked what she was doing? It was obvious so she couldn't really say different. I asked her to put them back, to which she threw the dug up bulbs on the ground and walked off

ie stealing them.
They are a £1 a bunch in supermarkets atm. I think people should try stealing those and see how that goes.

A £1 fgs.

Again, I cannot believe these stories of people digging up your plants and stealing your planters and pots!!!

it’s so outrageous!!!

Of course they can resist picking them. You teach them not to.
In the same way sweets and choccie biscuits are tempting in the shop - you teach children not to help themselves.
Because its stealing.

Just like helping themselves to chocolates from a special box that someone got you for eg Mothers day would be stealing.
Yes I do totally get that its odd that its ok to pick daisies and dandelions and not eg daffodils but thats how it is - we see some as weeds and others as flowers. Teach your kids the difference.

I have another lupin (purple) in another part of the garden that self seeded, I didnt do anything and from it came baby ones first year. now there is 9 of them all different shades of pink. For some reason the yellow one has never self seeded, maybe they are harder to grow and thats why people have been helping themselves. One lady who did ask said she had tried to grow yellow ones from bought seeds but none of them turned out to be yellow. 🤷‍♀️

you come across as a bit tightly wound.

yes, there is a conversation to be had, assuming parents are even aware, but it is hardly a criminal offence and might just be kids exploring their environment. If it is kids, op could take joy in contributing to a young child’s joy and exploration in nature. The communal garden aspect muddies the waters a bit i
n terms of etiquette - op has a certain intent or expectation of the space, but ultimately she doesn’t have a special claim and the community are free to interact with it to the same extent op does. Other posters have made lovely suggestions for planting in community spaces, which is fundamentally different than a private garden.

@Labraradabrador and you are coming across as someone who is okay with your child stealing because its fine if its a community garden. Why worry about the rest of the community eh just so long as your little darling can pick the flowers. Unless the organisers of the garden have invited your child to do so - its stealing. HTH

That is a seriously impressive lupin.

Not a sentence I ever expected to hear myself utter…

We have our own garden, which my children are heavily involved in both planting and raiding. I think it is lovely for children to be fully involved in gardening, and we have beds both for looking at as well as picking. They make their own bouquets and dissect flowers - critical for understanding how plants work.

My children understand not to pick flowers from other people’s gardens, but not all children have access to their own gardens. That’s why I would be far more accepting of children picking and exploring (not just looking!) in an informal community space. How else are they going to gain that understanding or tactile relationship with nature? I’m differentiating between a private and community space - you cannot be precious about planting in a community garden, which might require a different approach than in your own private garden where you can expect full control.

Awww I'm so sorry @Plantjungle Why can't people leave things alone?!

@Plantjungle

If you have lots of snails and slugs they'll enjoy eating a baby Lupin. I've lost so many to them.

Yes, I am kind of expecting that to happen as I don’t want to use slug pellets. Do any of your Lupins ever make it? Are they self seeded?

i have one on my windowsill that I’ve over wintered so it’s quite big. Hopefully that one will survive.

@Plantjungle

Unfortunately none of my lupins have ever survived. However my neighbours grows them successfully. It's maddening lol

Nearly every year you see a photo with a parent and children putting on a sad face that they have been told of for picking flowers all they wanted to do was pick some for someone. Ridiculous just bring up your children to not pick flowers

Buy or plant your own flowers. Stop stealing them.
On a side note I have never managed to grow my own lupins.

Watched a mother watch her child pick a daffodil from someone’s garden this morning on the school run. Threw her a dirty look but didn’t say anything. Teach your children not to pick other people’s flowers!

It's up to parents to teach their children to resist picking flowers. Teaching DC impulse control is important. A good starting point.

I’d feel the rage.

”CCTV in force 24 hours. Vandals will be prosecuted. Do not pick the flowers.”