too old, too stupid

Post Reply New Topic

I put a bunch of potted perennials out on the curb for free, and published it in Facebook, condo mailing list, and Nextdoor. Now I find someone stole my splendid, gorgeous Iceberg rose in full bloom and at least one other rosebush, from my driveway (nowhere near my curb).

I guess I'm too old to garden (broken bones) and I guess I'm too stupid to deal with the public. I brought this on myself.

I am gutted.

Sorry That sounds absolutely awful. Not stupid, though. You have a lot more integrity and offer a lot of good to the people here.

That is sad. And surprising that people will take advantage of a free offer and go steeling unless someone really misunderstood and thought the rest of the flowers were offered for free too, but you seemed sure that couldn`t be the case.
It may be of little comfort to you I am afraid but this story serves as a reminder to others what to look out for. I wouldn`t have guessed this would be a problem either and could have done the same as you in the same situation. You aren`t stupid of course!

One place I lived a few years back, there was a horticulture and they had put a table in their driveway where they put flowers for sale and a box for people to put the money in. No one was watching the table. It was a self served market stall really. I would assume they wouldn`t have done this if people stole flowers from the table. Or even the money in the box.
It was nice to pass by this table with the flowers on it, knowing this was based on trust and honesty.

I am sorry you lost your roses in such a sad and annoying way!

It seems hard for us to learn when to send some good will into the world and when to keep it to ourselves.

I beg to disagree; you did not bring this on yourself. There are selfish people in the world and there is nothing you can do to prevent yourself from getting kicked from time to time when trying to do something nice. Sometimes especially when you are trying to do something nice.

This is not your fault. These things just happen, regardless of age or disability. I am so sorry this happened to you.

I don't have roses, but I often share cuttings and seeds from what I have. Sharing plants is one of the wonderful things in life, I think. I enjoy it very much. PM me if you are interested. I could send you something nice. How about an orchid?

Hugs I’m sorry that happen, you must feel violated.
We use to have a lady who sold flowers by leaving them out, my grandma would go buy them . You take flower ps and leave money. I think sadly those days are going away
I’m too afraid to give anyone my adress

I am sorry that this happened to you. People can be a pain to deal with, as you never really know how they will act. I know that this might not do anything, but I would get the word out online that someone took the wrong plants. Maybe they will be honest enough to bring them back to you.

Thank you kind folks. I will smile again. Not today, but soon.

I'm sorry your plants were stolen. My friend and his family had an odd experience. They went on vacation and came home to find thar someone had broken in to their backyard and dug up their orange tree. And it's not as if orange trees are difficult to find around here. You can get them at any garden center.

That's bizarre, Chronos. I want to think that people who garden are people with integrity - but that's obviously an oversimplification of the real world.

The reason this has hit me so hard is that cutting back on gardening was an acknowledgment of my advancing disability as well as my husband's increasing dementia. I got rid of the potted perennials (not all, but those put out on curb) because he can no longer be counted on to do the watering for me, and my bad ankle means I can't get out there at all. I feel like taking a scorched earth policy and just letting everything dry up and then throw them out (but I probably won't).

This morning he's wondering where he left his garage-door opener (which he has been using in lieu of a house key). I suspect it's lost and we will have to change the door code and buy new openers, and then he can't come and go as he pleases. I have already had to take away his credit cards because he lost his wallet three times in a year. He's also lost his driving privilege, on medical recommendation, but lacks the insight to know that he shouldn't be driving.

I have been getting used to his growing dementia in phases. First I recognized that I will have to do much more active kitchen management, meal prep and cleanup than before (broken ankle no excuse). And I took over paying the bills. But now I am finding him tiresome to listen to in conversation as he fumbles for words and his stories don't interest me (which he can't discern). I am usually patient but I will continue to have to adjust as he progresses.

He finally got a diagnosis after dilly-dallying by his several doctors. The diagnosis is early-stage Alzheimer's. Until a couple weeks ago it was still mild cognitive impairment. They added a second memory-related drug to his regimen at that visit. Oh yes I manage the meds, too, and whereas before I could ask him if he had taken them, I found his memory was faulty (he would say yes, but there they were untaken) so now I am handing them over and waiting until I see him swallow them - that much more of a nursing role.

I have a caregiver support group and a therapist, but it's still sad. My gardening was my escape and my solace, and now I don't even have that.

Sorry to hear that. I live on a busy street so I just have to haul stuff out to the curb and it is gone in half an hour. I have a "free" sign to make it obvious that I want it to be gone.

I have an iceberg rose in the front yard but it is not the best rose for my climate. It gets black spots when the weather gets too wet. When it gets real bad the leaves fall off.

So sorry, and not your fault. Out of your kindness you were giving an inch and selfish people take a mile.

I am so so sorry.Gardening is a passion and therapy for me.
It’s odd to think someone would steal plants but it happens.
My insurance office had a small Japanese maple by the front door.
One night someone dug it up and carried it off.
A relative of mine bought some large marigold plants for her front yard,next day the whole plants were gone,leaving nothing but the holes.
One of my gardening magazines mentioned “ rogue gardeners” that steal the plants from public gardens and city landscapes.
How crappy.
Most gardeners are all too happy to share roots, cuttings and seed.
All people have to do is ask.

You did not bring this upon yourself.

Trust is the glue that holds society together, without it there is no society. If we watch every time someone walks past our car to check they don't key it, or check every purchase we make against our bank statements and then go to the bank and insist on being shown the money in our account, and weigh everything we buy in case that pound of flower is actually fifteen ounces, then we would have no lives, nothing would get done and we'd all starve and die.

You were not wrong to trust. they were wrong to be thieving bas***ds, but that's not your fault.

Is there such a thing as virtual gardening? If there isn't there should be.

Well, there's always "Farmville" ... LOL