I'm really frustrated because my spirea bushes in the front yard keep getting cut back to the ground each year. I suspect someone is stealing the cuttings to sell them. They never get the chance to grow big, and I miss out on their beautiful flowers. I've put so much time and money into planting them. Does anyone have some tricks to prevent this from happening? I've also been wondering if there are any bush recommendations that can't be propagated from cuttings?
5 Answers
Or you could just throw a bee hive in the middle of your spirea. That would definitely deter any would-be thieves from getting too close!
Just a heads up, sometimes animals like rabbits and deer might be munching on your spirea too! You could wrap the bushes in winter to protect them. It might not even be a person stealing them – could just be some hungry critters!
I can relate! My wife worries about fruit thieves with our new trees. We're thinking about putting up a sign saying, 'Feel free to take a piece or two, but leave some for us!' Hoping that polite message will work! But we might just move the trees to the backyard instead...
Here's a wild idea – what if you went full stealth mode and dressed up in a ghillie suit to catch the thief? Just think of it as a fun garden security mission!
Have you thought about setting up a motion-activated sprinkler? That could really scare off anyone trying to take your plants. A camera might help too, so you can catch the culprit in the act! You could even get a fierce dog to keep watch.
For sure! The motion-activated sprinkler sounds like a solid plan. That's what I would go for!