Many people enjoy being surrounded by plants, taking care of them, and cultivating beautiful green spaces. They are important to our health and wellness and can even help us recover faster when times get tough. 

For redditor Tupolski15’s partner, her plants held a lot of sentimental value, as she got them following a traumatic experience. However, after she moved with them to a new house, they were stolen. It turns out that it was her neighbors who were ‘friendly’ welcoming her into the neighborhood.

Scroll down to find the full story and a conversation with exotic plant gardener and blogger Chris Ridley, aka the Tropical Plant Guy, who kindly agreed to give us a few tips on how to prevent plant theft.

Plants have a special place in many people’s hearts

Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo)

When this woman’s beloved plants were stolen, she was heartbroken

Image credits: Iurii Laimin / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: tupolski15

2.7% of Australia’s households experienced theft of garden plants and statues

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2.7% of Australia’s households experienced theft of garden plants and statues, among other petty crimes. Around a quarter of victims didn’t report the matter to the police because they believed that it wasn’t serious enough and would be a waste of time. 

Victoria Police’s Leading Senior Constable Elizabeth Sinclair, who investigated these crimes, revealed that most people who committed thefts of plants and gardening tools, like taps and hoses, were looking to save money. Interestingly, the culprits were most likely to be older people out for a walk who were just looking for an opportunity to steal the plants. 

There are also organized groups that steal them and sell them online, at car boot sales, or at markets to make more money, Sinclair said. However, if the trees, flowers, or bushes are overhanging a person’s property and can be picked up without entering, it’s not considered theft. It becomes a crime when an individual steps foot into someone’s territory to fetch them. 

Exotic plant gardener and blogger Chris Ridley, aka the Tropical Plant Guy, tells Bored Panda that decorative plants in hanging baskets tend to be stolen the most, as they are practically ready to sell. More expensive plants in pots, such as palms, cycads, or even small tree ferns, are also common targets for thieves.

The plant theft issue has become so common that local councils in Australia have added trackers to greenery to stop the thieves. Others put up warning signs. Meanwhile, insurance companies encourage owners to purchase insurance packages that cover plant theft. 

“With many Australians spending considerable amounts of money landscaping their home, it’s important to check whether your insurance policy protects you in the unfortunate event of plant theft,” an NRMA Insurance spokesperson said. “While plants aren’t typically in the top items stolen from a home, there are growing incidents of plant theft, so we recommend home owners speak with their insurer.”

There are many ways to protect the plants and make sure that they won’t catch a potential thief’s eye

Image credits: nipananlifestyle / pexels (not the actual photo)

It can be heartbreaking when plants one nurtures and spends so much time on get stolen. Not to mention the costs of replacing them and the energy it takes to regrow them into luscious and beautiful greenery. To avoid this, there are many ways to protect the plants and make sure that they won’t catch a potential thief’s eye.

Ridley recommends planting the plants into the ground instead of planters. “Just make it a little more ‘hassle’ to be stolen,” he says.”Walk past your house and view it from the road, you may be able to hide or simply move out of sight some of the more expensive or easier-to-steal plants.”

Harvesting the fruit from your trees in a timely manner can prevent thieves from taking them as well. Whereas, bringing pretty dishes, unique ornaments, or candles sitting around your yard minimizes passers-by’s temptation to take them. It might also be a good idea to put a lock on the gate to protect not only the plants but also outside furniture or barbecues.

However, Ridley believes that the best way to prevent plant theft is to have a visible camera. “I have CCTV covering most of my garden, so I would be instantly notified if someone is in my garden!” he shares. And if a person has one, he urges them to get a CCTV sticker visible from the road so thieves would be less intrigued to snoop around.

Image credits: Caio / pexels (not the actual photo)

Readers offered a lot of practical advice in the comments, helping the author out

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