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Some whackadoodle keeps pulling up my plants

Jean in Newcastle
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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Last week someone pulled a dead plant out of my front flower garden. It was a new plant that had just not been able to make it in the heat. I was going to replace it but it wasn't anyone else's business to pull out my plant, if you know what I mean. The kids just called me out to tell me that a man stooped down by our flower bed (like he was tying a shoe), did something and then ran off down the road. When I went out, another plant which needed to be dead-headed but was not dead, had been pulled out! This is out front by our mailbox - there is no way to fence that part of our yard without considerable money and expense. Any suggestions for fending off crazy people from pulling up my plants? And no, the kids did not recognize him so he isn't one of our immediate neighbors.

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Maverick_Mom

Maverick_Mom

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Actually, this reminds me of the "Sign Wars" I had with some unknown Sign Thief when we had a political sign in our yard (someone we knew was running for local office). The sign was stolen during the night, so I put another one out the next day. That night, it too was stolen. I think I went through three signs before I consulted the 'Net for suggestions on thwarting Sign Thieves. Turns out that coating the sign with vegetable shortening makes it too slippery to remove easily and does a good job of frustrating the thief. :D

 

You could coat your dead plants with shortening or peanut butter or even a neutral-colored paint. I'm pretty sure your visitor would think twice before returning.

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Post a sign by the mail box saying that the property is now under video surveillence. A neighbor had to do that and it really helped.

 

Ds12 (electronics wizard extraordinaire) has plans to install a night scope camera with sound capabilities which if you trip a wire attached to the plants says "Put your hands on your head and step away from the plant!"

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Heather in AL

Heather in AL

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This is out front by our mailbox - there is no way to fence that part of our yard without considerable money and expense. Any suggestions for fending off crazy people from pulling up my plants?.

 

Maybe your plant-puller is my mystery Crepe Myrtle-hacker. :glare: Seriously. Twice now (Saturday night and last summer), someone, in the dead of night has taken it upon themselves to CUT our crepe myrtle. It 'canopies' the sidewalk and apparently, one of the neighbors doesn't like it. It had just rained, so the pods/flowers were heavy with the water and sagged, causing walkers to 'duck'; not to bend in half, but merely duck, and only tall people at that--- I'm of average-to-tall height for a woman and I merely had to bow my head. In our 100* and over heat, there aren't many walkers, and by the next day, the water would have evaporated and the branches would have sprung back up. Instead of ducking, someone must have walked home, grabbed clippers (yes, they were CUT, not broken or torn) and then walked back to cut my trees. :confused::confused:

 

I *seriously* want to put a sign and a camera out there next summer, but signs of ANY kind are not allowed in my snotty neighborhood. I *so* want to move to the country as I am sick of people!!!

 

Jean, I hope you find out who did this. I wish people would just leave a note if they have a problem with something. We even have a picky HOA, so why not complain to them and let the HOA decide if our tree needs to be trimmed?!

 

I feel your frustration!

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QueenCat

QueenCat

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Ds12 (electronics wizard extraordinaire) has plans to install a night scope camera with sound capabilities which if you trip a wire attached to the plants says "Put your hands on your head and step away from the plant!"

 

:lol: Can't wait to hear the results from this plan of action!

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coffeefreak

coffeefreak

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Maybe your plant-puller is my mystery Crepe Myrtle-hacker. :glare: Seriously. Twice now (Saturday night and last summer), someone, in the dead of night has taken it upon themselves to CUT our crepe myrtle. It 'canopies' the sidewalk and apparently, one of the neighbors doesn't like it. It had just rained, so the pods/flowers were heavy with the water and sagged, causing walkers to 'duck'; not to bend in half, but merely duck, and only tall people at that--- I'm of average-to-tall height for a woman and I merely had to bow my head. In our 100* and over heat, there aren't many walkers, and by the next day, the water would have evaporated and the branches would have sprung back up. Instead of ducking, someone must have walked home, grabbed clippers (yes, they were CUT, not broken or torn) and then walked back to cut my trees. :confused::confused:

 

I *seriously* want to put a sign and a camera out there next summer, but signs of ANY kind are not allowed in my snotty neighborhood. I *so* want to move to the country as I am sick of people!!!

 

Jean, I hope you find out who did this. I wish people would just leave a note if they have a problem with something. We even have a picky HOA, so why not complain to them and let the HOA decide if our tree needs to be trimmed?!

 

I feel your frustration!

 

Heather~It might be the HOA that's clipping your Myrtle. Or, it may be the city. If something overhangs the sidewalk here, the city has the right to "trim" it or cite you and give you a ticket if you don't trim it.

Sorry, I love Crepe Myrtles and wouldn't trim it if I were your neighbor :D

 

Jean~ Your son sounds AWESOME! I think you should do that AND put up some sort of electric trip wire. Of course, then you may electrocute the guy, but at least he'd get the message.

 

Blessings!

Dorinda

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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I love these ideas!

 

The only thing that freaks me out a bit is that this person sounds rather deranged. According to my dd8 (who is a truthful soul), she hid when she saw a person in a green hoodie with the hood drawn up. The person was peering around to see if he was being watched. It was creepy to her and that's why she hid. Then he bent down, pulled and ran off down the road. What? I mean, that's not normal behavior!

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Impish

Impish

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Ds12 (electronics wizard extraordinaire) has plans to install a night scope camera with sound capabilities which if you trip a wire attached to the plants says "Put your hands on your head and step away from the plant!"

:lol: Love it!

OHHHH! Put a fake snake in the plants! Maybe one that makes a rattle type noise when the plant is messed with.:D

:smilielol5:Too funny!

I love these ideas!

 

The only thing that freaks me out a bit is that this person sounds rather deranged. According to my dd8 (who is a truthful soul), she hid when she saw a person in a green hoodie with the hood drawn up. The person was peering around to see if he was being watched. It was creepy to her and that's why she hid. Then he bent down, pulled and ran off down the road. What? I mean, that's not normal behavior!

Well, I hate to say it, but being a plant/pant puller probably isn't a sign of 'normal' to start with. The video camera w/warning might send him over the edge.

 

And, just so you know...typing w/my left hand only, 'pant' puller initially came out as 'panty'. Thank goodness I check for typos...:blink::smilielol5:

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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OK - I have a tiny suspicion of which neighbor might be doing this - I hope - because this neighbor is a rather spry old lady - who I think I could take if it got physical! (Not that I would ever go out to physically confront someone over this).

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61439&highlight=hydrangeas

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Heather in AL

Heather in AL

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Heather~It might be the HOA that's clipping your Myrtle. Or, it may be the city. If something overhangs the sidewalk here, the city has the right to "trim" it or cite you and give you a ticket if you don't trim it.

Sorry, I love Crepe Myrtles and wouldn't trim it if I were your neighbor :D

 

Dorinda

 

Dorinda, it wouldn't bother me if it was the HOA, in fact, I'd feel badly! Their MO is to send a 'nasty gram', though and a follow-up one if the problem isn't taken care of (we've NEVER received one of those, BTW) However, whoever did this ONLY trimmed my Crepe Myrtle and not the many other plants in the neighborhood that are WAY overgrown... some are so bad that you absolutely cannot walk on the sidewalk *at all*, and others have thorns that grab your clothes when walking by. :glare: So, I'm going on the assumption that whoever did this to us only walks on our street, otheriwse there would have been 'bush murder' all over the place .

 

OK - I have a tiny suspicion of which neighbor might be doing this - I hope - because this neighbor is a rather spry old lady - who I think I could take if it got physical! (Not that I would ever go out to physically confront someone over this).

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61439&highlight=hydrangeas

 

Jean, I believe you now have curcumstantial evidence to suspect this neighbor of pulling up your plants (plants with an "L" people! heehee) and not feeling badly about it. Now that you have a suspect in mind, do you have a plan of action? Do you still have the plant that was pulled? I'd be likely to replant it and keep a close watch and then confront the person if I saw it happen.

 

OR.... maybe she pulled the plant and will sneak back and plant seeds for you?? :lol: (sorry--- couldn't help myself!)

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Jean, I believe you now have curcumstantial evidence to suspect this neighbor of pulling up your plants (plants with an "L" people! heehee) and not feeling badly about it. Now that you have a suspect in mind, do you have a plan of action? Do you still have the plant that was pulled? I'd be likely to replant it and keep a close watch and then confront the person if I saw it happen.

 

OR.... maybe she pulled the plant and will sneak back and plant seeds for you?? :lol: (sorry--- couldn't help myself!)

 

Well, I did think about going over to her house (she lives about 3 blocks away but I do know where she lives) and just asking her if she's pulling my plants. This last plant I did trim (deadhead) and then replanted.

 

I wish this whackadoodle (if it is her or someone else) would pull the real weeds that are coming up near the plants they are pulling!

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Murphy101

Murphy101

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:iagree::iagree::iagree:

LOVE THIS IDEA!!!!!!!!!!

 

I might never get another thing done though--I wouldn't be able to resist watching!

 

Well yeah! I mean as things stand now, it just a dead plant and a dented nut case. But with some imagination this can be something great. This has the ability to be relived entertainment well into your old age. You'll be a 100 and something senile and suddenly just start giggling till you pee as you remember The Day of the Whackadoodle Reckoning.

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MBM

MBM

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Sounds like you might have been visited by a guerrilla gardener, someone who gardens without permission on other people's property. It's becoming more mainstream. Google guerrilla gardener if you want to learn more.

 

I recently read about a mystery person who was sneaking onto a person's property and weeding the vegetable beds. Later he started eating the veggies! The owner eventually saw him and chased him off. The only visitors I have in my garden are chipmunks -- and they don't weed! :D

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coffeefreak

coffeefreak

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Dorinda, it wouldn't bother me if it was the HOA, in fact, I'd feel badly! Their MO is to send a 'nasty gram', though and a follow-up one if the problem isn't taken care of (we've NEVER received one of those, BTW) However, whoever did this ONLY trimmed my Crepe Myrtle and not the many other plants in the neighborhood that are WAY overgrown... some are so bad that you absolutely cannot walk on the sidewalk *at all*, and others have thorns that grab your clothes when walking by. :glare: So, I'm going on the assumption that whoever did this to us only walks on our street, otheriwse there would have been 'bush murder' all over the place .

 

 

 

"Bush murder" :lol::lol:

 

 

OK Heather, that's just spooky. You have a Crepe Myrtle stalker. I mean, really, they trim yours and not everyone else's?!?:001_huh:

 

Who DOES stuff like this?!

 

First Mariann's neighbors cut down her bush because they couldn't see her yard (that was Mariann, right?), and now there's "Guerrilla Gardeners?!?" Why can't people do something useful? Like sneak on your property and wash your windows? That would be OK! They could call themselves the "Window Warriors." Making the world a better place, one window at a time.

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Aubrey

Aubrey

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This is so awful, and nobody will ever understand, but when I was pg w/ #1, & the nesting instinct hit, it came as an overwhelming desire to fix up people's front lawns.

 

I am not a gardener. I don't like the feel of dirt. Bugs and worms are icky. I'd absolutely pull a dormant flower if I tried to fix something.

 

I did not touch people's yards, thank goodness. I might have photographed a nice one or two and redrawn the bad ones on graph paper, but I did respect (most) social boundaries.

 

So maybe the guy's pregnant? :lol:

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Dandelion

Dandelion

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Three words: Motion-sensitive sprinkler

 

Love this idea! That, or maybe some strategically placed rope traps - like the ones you see in Indiana Jones where they swoop you up and you're hanging by your ankles from a tree (got a tall tree nearby??)... :D

 

Sorry you're having to deal with "guerilla gardening" (just when I thought the world couldn't get any more bizarre)... :001_huh:

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Corraleno

Corraleno

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I had a phantom weed-puller once!

 

I was living in a small apartment complex and kept finding piles of weeds in the parking garage. One day I spotted the culprit — a little old lady from the complex next door snuck across behind the buildings and threw the weeds in our garage. So I went and got the pile of weeds, bundled it up with a note that said "Please don't throw your weeds in our garage" and left it on her front step. A few hours later I see her take the same bundle of weeds and throw them back into the garage! I go retrieve it, and there's a new note on it that says "They're not my weeds." :lol:

 

Turns out her kitchen window faced the back of our building, and she was angry that no one ever weeded back there, so she pulled the weeds herself and threw them in the garage in protest. Eventually someone sprayed them with weedkiller, and that was the end of the weed wars, LOL.

 

Jackie

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Tap

Tap

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I would love to plant a bunch of dead plants and just watch to see how far they will go to pull them. I love behavioral science and could see myself running experiements in my yard. How close to the house will they come? How many will they pull on one day? How about the street lights? LOL I could have a blast just seeing what they would go through to pull the sad little plants.

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MBM

MBM

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Oh, I love the idea of window warriors! This trend must be encouraged. My house first!

 

:lol:

 

I confess that I've been tempted to spruce up a bus stop I pass by daily. It's littered with cigarette butts and is soooo ugly. But then I snap out of it when I remember all the yardening chores waiting for me at home.

 

Speaking of strange people, last year in our suburb, someone stole two Japanese maples. They dug them up and carted them off! Then there was an incident involving two men who began ripping off the copper gutters of a home...while the owner was there! The nerve of some people.

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coffeefreak

coffeefreak

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I had a phantom weed-puller once!

 

I was living in a small apartment complex and kept finding piles of weeds in the parking garage. One day I spotted the culprit — a little old lady from the complex next door snuck across behind the buildings and threw the weeds in our garage. So I went and got the pile of weeds, bundled it up with a note that said "Please don't throw your weeds in our garage" and left it on her front step. A few hours later I see her take the same bundle of weeds and throw them back into the garage! I go retrieve it, and there's a new note on it that says "They're not my weeds." :lol:

 

Turns out her kitchen window faced the back of our building, and she was angry that no one ever weeded back there, so she pulled the weeds herself and threw them in the garage in protest. Eventually someone sprayed them with weedkiller, and that was the end of the weed wars, LOL.

 

Jackie

 

:smilielol5:

So, this was a "no man's land" behind your house? That's too much.

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