With summer comes fresh produce, and, unfortunately, a seedier side of the gardening world. Faced with a rash of flower thefts, some gardeners in Northwest Washington are determined to fight back.
What's so wonderful about a garden, says Linda Blount Berry, is everything can change overnight.
"Your tomatoes may send out their blossoms, your seeds that you planted a day ago are coming out of the ground. Flowers that were buds the night before open the next day," she says.
Or, she says, all the flowers can simply disappear. Blount Berry says a flower thief has been stealing stems from the Newark Street Community Garden for years.
"They cut all of your flowers, take all of your tomatoes, all of your peppers. And with 200 plots, they get a really good haul," she says.
Marcia Stein says the gardeners aren't the only ones suffering: Many gardeners give a portion of their produce to area food banks, so the thefts mean fewer fruits and vegetables for neighbors in need. Stein is asking residents to keep an eye out.
"When you see someone walking down the street with an armload of flowers, that's suspicious," she says.
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Stein says neighbors should take a picture of the culprit, and call the police.
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