Hollyberry Lady this theft is most certainly
NOT your fault!!!!
I know that here in San Antonio Texas there are theives that go into people's yards and steal expensive plants. They're known as "landscape rustlers" or "plant rustlers" and there's nothing funny about it. Billions of dollars are lost to these animals.
If there is any way at all to lock your garden up, borrow a friends large dog or get a shock fence and install it. The shock fence not only keeps animals in, it keeps animals out.
My plants are in 18 gallon muck buckets, to ugly for the "average" theif, but it's filled with a topsoil mix that would break a thief's back.
Here's an idea: If you are allowed to put up flyers or take out a public service announcement in the local paper, make it clear that there are theives in the area who are burglarizing property. (you don't have to say they steal plants.) Ask everyone to keep their eyes open, and if they see anything or anyone suspicious, to call the police and to take pictures with their cell phones or cameras if it's safe. You don't have to say who you think is doing it.
Many years ago I worked two jobs after being left destitute after a divorce. At my night job, there was a thief who routinely stole people's food out of the frig. Management did nothing but put a sign on the frig saying "don't steal." People on my shift were the most hit- we were putting our food in just as the 2nd shift was going home. One night was just too much- so I took a piece of paper and with my left hand I wrote a note telling the thief that I hoped they were ok because I had been feeling sick for a while and had sores in my mouth and throat (I didn't, of course but the thief didn't know that). I didn't sign it, and left it in the locker room. The next few days were histerically funny (for us)- management wanted to know WHO wrote the note because they wanted to fire the person (not the thief), several people on 2nd shift were complaining they had big doctor's bills (I wondered why, hee hee), and no food was stolen for months. Of course, no one on my shift had any idea who put the note up (they bought me sodas for a month).
The flyer will let the thieves know people are aware and watching. And a visit from the police followed up by the flyer will serve as an annoucement to all theives that they won't be tolerated.
Whatever you decide to do, we're with you.
