Guess I'm way to trusting! I have been using my driveway to dry out lily bulbs after I divide and wash them., then gather them up and bag them at the end of the day. Didn't notice until I starting packing my orders this morning that someone had stold a number of them out of the driveway. Of course they took the largest bulbs like White Henry, Honeymoon and Scherazade. At least those 3 I think I have enough leftovers to fill my orders. A few like Georgette and Double Sensation I have no more of so will have to refund money on them or substitute some other bulbs. Also lost most of the Pendant Peach but had enough that I think I can send at least one to everyone that ordered it and will refund the extra for the second bulb. The thief also mixed up my Latvia and Plum Peach bulbs, so anyone getting free Latvia may end up with some Plum Peach mixed in. Thankfully I had l more Plum Peach I dug up yesterday to fill all the orders.

All I can say is I hope who ever took them really wants lilies and will plant them and enjoy them and didn't just do it to be mean and end up tossing them. Spend a number of hours after work yesterday morning redigging and washing bulbs. To make matters worse, I'm working 19 nights in a row because of severe staff shortage where I work, so this was not how I wanted to spend the morning. No more driveway drying! Lesson learned! Just had to vent.

So sorry to hear that, Susan

This could easily have happened to anyone as plants or bulbs aren't something one usually thinks needs to be protect from thieves.
I do hope they plant them, but unlike you I don't wish them enjoyment. Rather I hope the thief will remember what he or she done, every time they rest their eyes on those lilies.

I've heard of things like this happening before, but the culprit turned out to be a bear with a pre-hibernation appetite. Unfortunate, but more understandable than people who should know better. What's wrong with some people these days, anyway??????

I do just wish they had asked. I give away a lot of plants every year to people walking by. I have dried iris and daylilies in the driveway for years and never had a problem I think they were taken the same day my next door neighbor had a garage sale. Someone most likely saw me laying them out and came back after dark. I sleep evenings and went out about 10PM before going to work to bring them in. Had so many I didn't even notice some were missing. As I was packing orders today I found that American West and Lilium henyri were also gone. I will refund money to anyone that ordered either of them since they were ones I had decided not to grow anymore and had dug all of them.

Had to laugh at your comment William. Maybe they will feel bad everytime they look at them, but I doubt it.

Roosterlorn said:I've heard of things like this happening before, but the culprit turned out to be a bear with a pre-hibernation appetite. Unfortunate, but more understandable than people who should know better. What's wrong with some people these days, anyway??????

Depending on how many went missing and where stilldew is it could have been voracious squirrels. I've had a gang of squirrels dig up and steal 20+ tulip bulbs and 10+ lily bulbs in autumn and then another 15 or so tulips the following spring!

Anyone who gets Plum Peach instead of Latvia can thank their lucky stars!

You're right Connie. There are some squirrels around, but these were not taken in a random way. Many of the bulbs that were taken were the biggest ones or ones that I had only 2 or 3 of like they thought maybe these were rarer? The ones they didn't take were still in nice little separate areas with markers just like I left them. The more I think about It, I think all the Plum Peach ones were taken rather than mixed in with the Latvia. The 2 bulbs did look a lot alike and I seemed to end up with a lot of Latvia,, but if you grow Latvia, you know it multiplies like crazy. I was just glad I still had enough Plum Peach to redig.

I think it may be coincidence that the larger ones were taken, and squirrels may instinctively pick 'larger'. After all, who wants scrawny nuts? (well that didn't sound just right, did it )
I know they get in my yard and carry off my plant markers, plants that have been there awhile? no, no, no, the new ones that I can't remember the names of... somehow the squirrels know JUST which ones to run off with

If an animal is the thief in this case, I would guess that smell would be the most likely determiner of bulbs chosen.

aren't lily bulbs toxic to eat for animals? Would a squirrel eat them? Of course I'm pretty sure he isn't eating my plant markers

Don't get true lilies (Lilium) mixed up with other so-called lilies. Yes, Liliums are toxic to cats, but certainly not rodents!

Ugh, that's awful! Some people have no conscience.

I doubt it was squirrels; they couldn't lift/roll/eat all of those large lily bulbs and make them disappear. I guess bears could have eaten them, but they probably would have made a huge mess, not pick out specific bulbs. They're not exactly known for their subtlety.

No bears around here LOL. A few possums and raccoons, but this was way too organized not to have been people. Just happy I had enough of most to still send out my orders. Next year they will be put to dry in the back and out of sight.

Yeah, it was definitely a people thing. Squirrels, possums, woodchucks, etc. make a heck of a mess of things. And mice leave bite and chew marks on just about every one. And much of what a deer eats (like apples) falls back out of their mouth as they chew so there would be remnants of mashed scales all over the driveway. Sounds like this job was too clean to be any animal.

I wonder if these showed up on Craig's List or Ebay... well they may have taken even more of them if that were the case.

You want to trust people and think the best of people in general. Then you get burned like this. Sad that they actually violated your property rights, as if they are better than the law.

Karma will get them. It always does.

hmmm to prove something odd here.......lol. The squirrels have been busy busy with the walnut tree beside my house at the neighbours and literally burying the walnuts in my gardens and to be quite honest they are bigger then some lily bulbs are.....the squirrels will also take the seed pod from the tulip tree and they are huge huge and bury them as well........
at dust out come the coons that will do the same thing...............
some animals are attracted to sweet smells and not sure if one bulb smells differently then the other but I can see them taking a larger bulb.......

I am deciding where to finish drying my bulbs here and looks like in the garage is the only place or in the house.........the squirrels and the coons will take them.....

I also noticed that a gold finch .......is on the little yellow turkcaps that have seeds and cracking them open and eating the seeds...........

so not only the varmits to worry about here but the birds too.......

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On a side note at my other house years ago 2 old ladies in their high 70's were out at a patch of lilies I had planted and digging them up with the shovel. I was home and stormed out and said what are you doing. They said you have lots here so we decided to take a few of them...............NOT told them to leave right now.............

wow that is BOLD what a bunch of crazies

stilldew said:Guess I'm way to trusting! I have been using my driveway to dry out lily bulbs after I divide and wash them., then gather them up and bag them at the end of the day. Didn't notice until I starting packing my orders this morning that someone had stold a number of them out of the driveway. Of course they took the largest bulbs like White Henry, Honeymoon and Scherazade. At least those 3 I think I have enough leftovers to fill my orders. A few like Georgette and Double Sensation I have no more of so will have to refund money on them or substitute some other bulbs. Also lost most of the Pendant Peach but had enough that I think I can send at least one to everyone that ordered it and will refund the extra for the second bulb. The thief also mixed up my Latvia and Plum Peach bulbs, so anyone getting free Latvia may end up with some Plum Peach mixed in. Thankfully I had l more Plum Peach I dug up yesterday to fill all the orders.

All I can say is I hope who ever took them really wants lilies and will plant them and enjoy them and didn't just do it to be mean and end up tossing them. Spend a number of hours after work yesterday morning redigging and washing bulbs. To make matters worse, I'm working 19 nights in a row because of severe staff shortage where I work, so this was not how I wanted to spend the morning. No more driveway drying! Lesson learned! Just had to vent.

Aww.... Just seeing this now, and what a shame for you! I'm about to plant the bulbs I received today -- they arrived last Thursday in the midst of our huge rain event! so today is the day. I'm sure I will be happy with what's here.

patweppler said:On a side note at my other house years ago 2 old ladies in their high 70's were out at a patch of lilies I had planted and digging them up with the shovel. I was home and stormed out and said what are you doing. They said you have lots here so we decided to take a few of them...............NOT told them to leave right now.............

Oof. Talk about a lack of respect for others. I guess wisdom (or an understanding of the law) doesn't come with age for everybody?