I just need to vent...

[Dumpsterkitty]

I got home from work to discover someone had cut most of the flowers off my lilac bushes!  And my neighbor saw someone in a white van pull into my driveway & do it!  And thought nothing of it!  And said he'd seen him in my driveway before! (Yes, I always tell the neighbor when I have work being done when I'm not home)

The nice young trooper of course said there's nothing to be done unless he shows up again...and told the neighbor to call 911 if he does.  Said there's actually a better chance than usual of catching them since someone saw him-usually doesn't happen that way.

The $(&^% just took loppers & cut the flowers off!  There's nothing but bare naked stems sticking up in the middle of the bushes!  And he didn't even take everything he chopped!  Left cut branches with flowers everywhere-which I can't even put in a vase now 'cause they've been laying on the ground all day.   The bushes were big when I moved here 30 years ago-you can only imagine the size now.  I had a lot of old branches damaged this winter...now this *&^%!$## chopped off all the young growth!  I hope they survive.

I think my blood pressure is down out of the stratosphere but still not very pretty.  How could somebody do this?  I always felt safe here since so many of my neighbors are retired & home all day.  I guess that's shot right to heck.

Thanks for listening...now back to our regular programming...

[MAK]

How awful Ei. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I don't know what's going on in this world  but people are &^%#ed up!!!   

[jeanne]

 

How awful!!!!!  And what the heck is going on with the neighbor?  I hope that it is early enough for everything to bloom again. Sheesh.

My lawn guy's son mowed down my butterfly bush (that I had a gate around) and I went ballistic.  But this is worse.  I hope the person who did this gets caught.

[valhalla]

Ei - you just named one of the reasons that we sold the lake house and moved on board Valhalla.  I had great luck with Dutch bulbs - giant crocus and tulips hip high - the "city" kids showed up with dog chain and trampled them - didn't take them - just let the dog kill them.  Of course the same kids subsequently broke in and took several things of our parents - never found and irreplaceable.  We've all been there and my BP just went up a few notches in sympathy.

I would suggest that if the house is alarmed to change the codes and get a check-up there.  If it isn't alarmed, do so now - motion is an option, as some exterior action will trigger it. 

What is with people?  This is the sub-human species that I keep refering to.  Protect yourself!  Get the shotgun out, too!

[Kris G.]

We love Lilacs and have many bushes on our land and I would be furious too if anyone did that to ours.  I'm so sorry, Ei. 

[Donna]

I got home from work to discover someone had cut most of the flowers off my lilac bushes!  And my neighbor saw someone in a white van pull into my driveway & do it!  And thought nothing of it!  And said he'd seen him in my driveway before! (Yes, I always tell the neighbor when I have work being done when I'm not home)

The nice young trooper of course said there's nothing to be done unless he shows up again...and told the neighbor to call 911 if he does.  Said there's actually a better chance than usual of catching them since someone saw him-usually doesn't happen that way.

The $(&^% just took loppers & cut the flowers off!  There's nothing but bare naked stems sticking up in the middle of the bushes!  And he didn't even take everything he chopped!  Left cut branches with flowers everywhere-which I can't even put in a vase now 'cause they've been laying on the ground all day.   The bushes were big when I moved here 30 years ago-you can only imagine the size now.  I had a lot of old branches damaged this winter...now this *&^%!$## chopped off all the young growth!  I hope they survive.

I think my blood pressure is down out of the stratosphere but still not very pretty.  How could somebody do this?  I always felt safe here since so many of my neighbors are retired & home all day.  I guess that's shot right to heck.

Thanks for listening...now back to our regular programming...

Oh boy and I was gonna sneak into my neighbors yard and snip some Lilacs for myself!! I'm KIDDING! Oh Ei, I feel so bad for you. Lilacs are beautiful and smell wonderful. They only bloom once a year then nothing. Guess your gonna have to wait til next year. I'm really sorry...*&%$%#'s

[Dumpsterkitty]

Thanks everyone...I just needed to get it off my chest...solutions will have to wait for daylight...

The trooper suggested I take some pictures in case they catch the guy...I didn't realize just how much of a hack job until now.  This is just one of the bushes...there are 2 others just as huge...this morning it was full of leaves & flowers...



It's just boggling my mind

[Donna]

Thanks everyone...I just needed to get it off my chest...solutions will have to wait for daylight...

The trooper suggested I take some pictures in case they catch the guy...I didn't realize just how much of a hack job until now.  This is just one of the bushes...there are 2 others just as huge...this morning it was full of leaves & flowers...



It's just boggling my mind

Jeez, what a hack job...Holy ---- Ei. I hope you catch the Blank Blank. So sorry...what a shame.

[jeanne]

Oh Ei, I am so sorry.  What a terrible thing to come home to. 

[Joyce]

I didn't realize just how much of a hack job until now.  This is just one of the bushes...there are 2 others just as huge...this morning it was full of leaves & flowers...

Ei, this is horrendous!  As a child, I remember my parents had lilac bushes between our house and their single car garage.  Actually, they ended up being trees.  They grew so high that they only bloomed at the top and it was difficult to cut the flowers.  My dad made a decision to cut them back - way back!  My mom thought for sure they were done.  Low and behold they turned out to flower beautifully for many more years to come.  I hope yours will come back the same way.

[valhalla]

I didn't realize just how much of a hack job until now.  This is just one of the bushes...there are 2 others just as huge...this morning it was full of leaves & flowers...

Ei, this is horrendous!  As a child, I remember my parents had lilac bushes between our house and their single car garage.  Actually, they ended up being trees.  They grew so high that they only bloomed at the top and it was difficult to cut the flowers.  My dad made a decision to cut them back - way back!  My mom thought for sure they were done.  Low and behold they turned out to flower beautifully for many more years to come.  I hope yours will come back the same way.

Reading Joyce's post and that butcher-job picture, Ei, made me think "this is a job for the arborist or tree surgeon".  Get the experts in to manicure and trim the trees and bushes and also to estimate the damage.  Call your insurance company (you never know).  You are talking HUGE trees/bushes - get the experts involved to both save the lilacs and your pocketbook.

[Carol P.]

I just don't understand why someone would do this.   

[Bobbie Ireland]

Reading Joyce's post and that butcher-job picture, Ei, made me think "this is a job for the arborist or tree surgeon".  Get the experts in to manicure and trim the trees and bushes and also to estimate the damage.  Call your insurance company (you never know).  You are talking HUGE trees/bushes - get the experts involved to both save the lilacs and your pocketbook.
[/quote]

Vent away! What a nasty trick! But on the bright side (IS there one?) - I need to trim one of our lilacs as it has got very tall and leggy, with blooms only at the top and out of reach. The website from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHA) says they can be pruned all at once... in which case you wait 3 yrs for more blossoms. OR - and this is what I plan to do - prune one-third each year for 3 years. While they say this should be done in autumn, perhaps something like this could work. Good ideas re insurance and pros, tho.

See if the insurance people will let you get a Lilac-Cam so you can catch the blighters!!

Slainte!
Bobbie

[Donna]

Lilacs are a BIG deal here...As I said yesterday, I wanted  to go to the neighbors and snip some myself...but I was kidding...Well, as I sit here at my kitchen table typing this, the neighbor in back went out and took a few snips for herself, (from the neighbor next to her). Now I don't know if she had permission, (as they are social) but ...(what the hay)?

I took this pic just now with my cell so you can see just how beautiful this Lilac tree is. The smell is coming in my window. I love the scent. Too bad it doesn't last long.

[Carol P.]

The Lilac Festival is huge here in Rochester.  Check it out.

http://www.lilacfestival.com/