One we received: a three-foot-high green cactus plant showed up in our cottage garden after we'd lent out the cottage. We thought it was an odd choice but appreciated the gift, until the rain stopped and we went over to check it out--plastic! (We put it on the jokester's roof.)

My daughter and I have been exchanging a small fake spider for years--it shows up on my toothbrush every few years and I still fall for it. I've promised to work it into her wedding bouquet.

My wife and mother-in-law hung a batch of plastic grapes on my fledgling grape vine. So delicious looking! I was so excited I didn't even question why green grapes were hanging from my red grape vine!

My favorite sneaky activity is to plant various bulbs around the garden in Fall and then watch my wife's surprise when they come up in Spring. She flips through her tags and tries to find when she planted them.

I'm originally from SC, and am broken hearted that azaleas don't do well here in SW FL. I bought two plants and watered and fertilized and was so disappointed when they wouldn't bloom. I was thrilled on day to find a bloom on one, until I realized it was white, and the azalea was red blooming. I looked closer and found a cluster of white silk azalea blossoms tied to the stem.

My friend felt so sorry for me, she "gave" my azalea blooms.

DH hates snakes, so I continuously 'get him' by strategically placing rubber snakes throughout the gardens. One time I put one in the garage next to the lawn mower and I could hear him holler clear out in the yard; then I heard him yell my name when he figured out it was my toy. Gets him every time! :-)
~Louise in Iowa

I love the plastic bug pranks....my DH is absolutely phobic about slugs. I got a big plastic banana slug and put it on the back of his porch chair, and then said, "wow, look at this!" and picked it up --

he actually ran away screaming -- guess i'm lucky he didn't divorce me!

A gardening neighbor (husband's cousin's wife)get's a big kick out of planting things in other family-member's yards ,when they are not at home!!!!!!!
I've found things in my yard that I didn't plant .I known some of them were NOT volunteers , because they are neatly spaced.
When I mention it to her , she just grins .
She's even been known to plant WEEDS in her sister's flowerbed!(maybe MINE ,too????)
She has a rather weird sense of humor!!!

One time when I went on vacation I asked a friend to come over to water a few things inside. I had a rosemary that I had just given up on, so I tied a bow on it, made a pretty "Rosie the Rosemary" stake for it, and left it in the middle of my kitchen counter (a prime sun spot.) I called her after being gone for about 6 days and asked "How's Rosie Rosemary?" I could just HEAR the look on her face while she was saying, well, uh, how did she look when you left? I put a panic in my voice and asked back, "Why?" I dragged her on for a few more questions until I burst out laughing.