Do people steal geraniums?!

[VR_SE22]

Do people steal plants out of window boxes?

This morning around 6am I heard some low level scuffling outside (bedroom window open) but thought nothing of it - thought it was a dog or something. When I opened the blinds later I found that one of my window boxes was totally empty - my lovely red geranium has been taken clean out! A trail of petals and mud goes up the street a bit .... and then goes cold!

I loved that geranium :-(

[KidKruger]

I?ll be interested in where the trail goes cold!

[Penguin68]

Do people steal plants out of window boxes?

Absolutely. Certain people will steal anything not locked down (and will bring bolt cutters and angle grinders for those, if the prize if right). They will also steal window boxes themselves!

Sorry for your loss, of course.

[Angelina]

that is so low

[Pugwash]

A friend of mine had a small tree in a large ceramic pot in her front garden -that got nicked- would have taken 2 people to lift it.

[VR_SE22]

Such a weird thing to steal! Next time I hear scuffling I shall be out the front like a shot ...

[Huggers]

a squirrel once stole my sweet rare fern that was growing in a pot.

[snoopy17]

Whats the point in stealing a gerranium. It's not as if they are expensive.

Sounds like a spiteful person stole it.

[Sue]

There have been several plant/pot thefts in Nunhead recently.

Including from the front of a house on Nunhead Green, in broad daylight.

I had all my window boxes stolen one afternoon a few years back. It was just before Mother's Day. The police said the thieves had been going round the area in a van taking plants.

Like VR_SE22 I heard a sort of scraping noise at the front, and thought nothing of it. I had a lodger at the time, and he came back from work and asked where the window boxes were :(

[Jules-and-Boo]

I had a window box stolen, was really annoyed.

More so when we found out it had been used to smash a window and break into our neighbours.

Can we have some more police please Boris?

[Froglander]

Apparently there were several thefts from front gardens in Oglander Road earlier this year, plants were dug up from the ground.

[yeknomyeknom]

Yeah, a van goes round collecting plants from front gardens. It?s been happening in East Dulwich for 10yrs that I know of.

[tiddles]

Yes have the police back that your lot took away

[achoo]

Yesterday on Silvester Road I saw a plant flung on the pavement mud and roots still attached

When looking around this didn't seem to come from anything near by?

[muffins78]

Squirrels are always at my flowers, plants, fruit and veg out the back! I see something grow, admire, gone... birds too on the fruit etc.. :)

But if someone stole things, I?d be gutted!! So I?m sorry to hear that!!

[rch]

I had two window boxes of geraniums stolen from my front windows in May. I was so annoyed that I called 101 and reported it and was given a Crime Reference number, so at least our ward stats will reflect what's happening in the area.

We used to have a local sergeant who called these thieves The Flowerpot Men... apparently, as per above, they drive around areas of London in a white van and steal plants from front gardens to sell at "pop up" flower markets.

From memory, some East Dulwich plants were found at a flower stall in Chelsea(!) several years ago and stolen goods were returned to residents who had reported.

[IlonaM]

They even do it in Fulham apparently:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/moment-woman-brazenly-walks-off-with-window-pot-she-snatched-from-outside-fulham-home-a4203476.html

[VR_SE22]

A quick thank you to everyone who has posted back on this thread - I thought I was going a bit mad accusing a person (as opposed to a fox or squirrel) for stealing my geranium! Totally crazy that The Flowerpot Men actually exist.

Solidarity to all fellow window box victims out there!

[Houseoflego]

I would say squirrels as they are always digging up my freshly planted pots, but apparently they hate geraniums. Foxes?

Edited to say sorry, missed last post!

[Sue]

I noticed tonight that all the troughs have disappeared from outside the Picturehouse.

I sincerely hope that they are just being replanted.

Or does the cinema take them in at night in case they are stolen? Never noticed them gone before :(