When my father had our house built, the contracter did not landscape; my father pointed out on the contract that he did. The next day, ten white azaleas appeared on the lawn (they are still there, thirty years later...) Six months later the contracter went to jail as he had been caught stealing plants out of public parks for landscaping his houses. This took a long time to get back to my father (and I did'nt hear about it for years) and we were never sure if those ten mini azaleas were stolen or not.
I'm sorry for your loss. That is lousy; but I bet you it was someone with a truck and an accomplice. Is anyone doing any work in your area? Sometimes paranoia is not an altogether bad thing.

I think it really stinks when people steal plants out of yards (well, I guess it stinks no matter what they steal, or where, but really!) I've known people who've had evergreen trees cut down in their yards at Christmas time. When my daughter was in college she had plants on her back porch, with a ten-foot fence and a locked gate, stolen. I think most of us are happy to give away plants, but it's nice when people ask--and then accept 'no' when it's plants like that.
My condolences!

My mother is an avid gardener and has a yard that i would give my eye teeth for! Her yard is so nice that she has had strangers to stop and ask if they could just walk through and see everything! She is also one of the most generous people that I have ever seen and is more than happy to share plants with anyone. Most of my plants have come from her.

A few years back, before I moved here and just lived down the road from my Mother, she asked me to come over for a couple of weeks and water her flowers while she was gone on a trip. While i was there one day, a neighbor of her's walked over and we started talking and during the conversation, she informed me that she had been over there a few days before and dug up some plants. She didn't have my mother's permission or mine and she even thought it was funny. I DID NOT find it funny! She even told me that she would be driving along and if she saw something in someone's yard that she liked and if it was close to the road, she would stop and dig some up!! During her conversation, i stood there getting angrier by the minute and when she stopped talking, I flat out told her what i thought of her and told her that if she ever came into my Mother's yard again and took anything without permission, i would press charges against her for trespassing and theft!! I let her know right off just how low i thought she was and that this was my Mother's yard and even though i am her daughter and have more right to take something from it than her, i still wouldn't do it without asking first!!

I guess i really ticked her off cause she doesn't even speak to my mother anymore. But like i told my mother, at least you won't come home now and find your plants gone!!!

You should put in a video camera, disguise (sp)? it, and buy a new palm. Maybe you can catch the thief....

Django, You live in Gintilly. Has that become a crime free area since 1999? Yes palms of all sorts are what makes money for your drug whatabees. They will break into nursries and even dig up peoples yards for that Sago Palm.Last time I lived (thank God) In the New orleans area they would take new lancsaping plants.

I am not sure exactly where you were going with that last post, Belinda. My point was not to beat up on ole' New Orleans or Gentilly. I have chosen to live here, warts and all. I used to have an apartment, years ago, across from a little landscape/nursery and I remember the alarms going off and the dogs barking in the middle of the night. I guess that someone could trade a nice 5 gallon specimin for a rock or two.

I don't see how ripping a small palm out of the ground (and leaving half of the roots) could reap economic gain. My guess is that three out of the four will probably die due to shock.

Stole another today while I was at work. Ripped out of the ground like the other four. Probably replacing a stolen one that died. Great advertisement for city living.

A neighbor of mine once cut down my flowers accidentally (before I put my fence up) and to apoligize for it, he brought me a nice little Sago Palm. He told me he got it while landscaping and kept stressing how much they are worth. Come to find out later, he never had any such job and I truly believe I have a "stolen" Sago now growing happily in my yard. I hung a windchime over it to help remove the bad "chi" I feel each time I walk near it.

Mrs Emily, That must be one mighty fine Sago Palm to still be in your yard if it makes you feel bad when ever you walk by it! Thank you for the good laugh!

Django, you have 2 more chances (if three out of the four die)to set up a camera and catch the thief in the act. Or depending on how much you want to catch this person you could set up one of those really bright motion lights, like my neighbors that looks like midnight sun, or even go a step beyond and rig up one of those ding dong bells like when you enter a store. I guess providing you can see the light of hear the noise from your room.
If it were me I would just want to know who it was. It would have to be someone who lives near you for the fact they know you have replaced the plant so they can steal it again. That along would keep me up at night to see who it was!
Good luck and happy hunting!

Later, on the same day that the last had been stolen, I was grilling steaks in the backyard and wife was setting our table outside. She saw a black SUV pull up and stop near the remaining palms. A small girl, approximately eight years old, got out of the SUV and walked over to a palm. She cautiously looked both ways. A woman that we presume to be the girl's mother noticed my wife and screamed to the girl to get in the car. They quickly took off deeper into our neighborhood.

I hopped into my car. I was able to catch up because the driver of the SUV was not familiar with the neighborhood and the numerous dead-end streets.
Once I got the make, model and license number I quit the chase. By that time my wife was in her car and followed them to New Orleans East.

I have had an investigator find out the name and address of the person the car is registered to. Fun will ensue.

Did you get them yet. We are waiting for the final chapter!

And, if you want some lesser stuff as a consolation prize, give me a ring. I will be forced to clean out some of my containers come Fall, and those plants has to go somewhere.

Hope you nail them bastids, that sucks!

I've got some baby pindos, and I mean they're babies, and some other stuff if you're interested. My hubbi goes to nola downtown every week to call on Shell, so let me know

sea ya
tami

I'd like to hear the outcome of this story.

Me too!

Well, heck. I came to this board on a tip looking for beach glass and found an unsolved mystery. Not fair! I want to know...

... the rest of the story.

Me too!