am i the only plant thief

one of my friends and i go out everytime we hear about a condemned building coming down and dig up whatever we want. we also go to new construction sites before they destroy them and dig up plants. I have trilliums, lady's slippers, jack in the pulpits, peonies, iris, lilacs, mountain laurel, climbing hydrangea, wisteria and much more...all for free! Best of all, we know that these "stolen " plants are hardy for our area. We have one friend that has arthritis and can't dig. she drives the "getaway car". It's a great way to "save" plants and increase your collection.

I also raid construction sites and/or search for ruins of abandoned houses in the woods, since I can find 'heirloom' plants (most o these abandoned house sites were abandoned in the 1930's or earlier) and hopefully preserve them for future generations. When my church knocked down the old parish house to make more room for parking, I moved about 3 dozen Resurrection lillies to one of the Church's other flower beds, along with several hardy mums, and the ones that there wasn't any space for got planted in my garden or given to friends. There was also a woodlot that was getting cut down nearby, so I grabbed some Jack in the pulpits and mayapples from there (some of the Jack in the pulpits were coming up right in the middle of the logging road going into the woods).....

So yeah, I also am a "Raider of the Last Park" (see the Plant Delights Nursery Catalog cover archives).

I just started saving plants from construction sites. I have moved day lillies, poppies, hostas, lilly of the valley and a little bulb that has tiny blue flowers in the spring. I also picked up used bricks, hand cut stones from old walls, pieces of slate and bluestone and even a cast iron car spring to use in my garden. I feel that I am making a tiny difference when I recycle - even things as "natural" as plants, rocks and seeds. I have also bought plants on eBay that have been saved from constructions sites - Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Lady Slippers and now some apple trees.

I am so happy to hear there are others with the same affliction. I too scour abandoned houses and construction sites. I have gotten some lovely lilac bushes, ferns, lilies of the valley, irises (Siberian, Bearded and Lousiana), daylillies, lady's mantle, sedum, and columbine - to name a few. I have started writing down what plants are available at each of the sites I have discovered. This way, if I need more I know where to get them. I now have my sights set on houses that are habited! I am considering offering to clean up a garden bed in exchange for some plant divisions. Haven't yet worked up the courage.

I have to admit i sometimes look at inhabited houses too. maybe we should all chip in and have a fund set up to bail people out of jail when the temptation gets too strong!
i also take seedlings and root divisions from the golf course beds when i am out golfing. i bring ziplock bags and a spoon with me. they don't mind in the spring because their landscapers are going to pull all of the seedlings anyway. (just don't mention the root divisions)

I've got stuff from habited houses, but I always ask the owners first. In the case of my large grove of Yellow Groove bamboo, I asked the guy if I could have some, and he said, "Take as much as you want!" I ended up digging a 5 1/2 gallon sized rootball, which has become, after 9 years, my 30 ft by 15 ft grove..... I also got some Carolina (Pasture) rose divisions from the edges of my Grandmothers yard, both of which are doing great. The real gold mines where I live are 3 abandoned rock quarries: you can find Eastern Prickly pear there (I don't have any place on my property where they would grow, though), Common Prickly Ash, Royal Paulownia, Osage Oranges, and other plants that only grow where it's too dry and rocky for native plants (although the Common Prickly Ash and Eastern Prickly Pear Cacti are natives) to grow and shade them out....

Under the tutelage of my experienced garden friend Alicia, I have "liberated" a number of plants from construction/destruction sites...creeping phlox, red hot poker, stella d'oro daylilies, an azalea, and a huge lilac. Haven't worked up the nerve to go knocking on doors yet. :) I get that feeling of satisfaction of saving a plant from sure destruction...and knowing that it was completely free. :)

pam

I don't "raid" "save" or "liberate" plants from any place, but my hubby does. He is a construction worker/carpenter and every place he goes for an addition he "scopes out" the landscape. He checks to see if the addition will harm or distrub the plants in the area.
He then ask the owner or contractor what is to be done w/the plants. If they say "scrap em" he then ask for the plants. He has brought home cedar hedges, blue spruce, daylilies, columbine, lilacs, ect. I had never thought of going to condemed houses until I saw this thread. What is DG doing to me??? LOL

........and I've wasted too much of my life, it seems, feeling guilty. You folks are great! Now I feel liberated!

As far as construction sites go ... do you sneak up in the night? Do you ask the crew? I'm a little shy ... so far I only do abandoned home sites ... really old ones! I got a great rambling rose that way from cuttings ....

My DH asked the owner about me taking cuttings and he was happy to agree to it. Not quite as exciting but much better for a nervous Nellie like me.

Just "liberated" a couple of money plants and a vine hydrenga (however that is spelled) from "my" construction site with/for a girlfriend this weekend. Then I went back for bags full of decomposed leaves full of huge worms and worm castings. If I had a pickup truck - I would have the whole pile of leaves in my yard by now.

Good work! Mission accomplished. I just bought a camouflage tee shirt for my missions.

I go at night in full disguise with a fake passport.

Wow! You must go pretty far!