Pitchfork left in
mall garden

From panel

clue. While trying to dig up a grass, the thief broke off'a
pitchfork on the thick root and left it th

“These guys know what theyre doing. It’s low budget,
cheapo, unscrupulous landscapers. There's no question
because number one, they had professional grade tools that
homeowners don’t bu whe said, adding that the grasses
were hidden trom view and other potted plants in the gar-
dens would be far casier to snatch.

“So it’s somebody who knows plants,” he concluded.
“Or thinks they do.”

Cases of filched foliage are happening evervwhere, 5
Tom Meyer of the B.C. Landscape and Nursery iati
Crooked gardening companies are a “definite, definite possi-
bility,” because the industry currently has no regulation.

“Basically, if you have a
shovel and ‘a truck and a
wheelbarrow, you can call
yourself a landscaper.”

The problem affects
homeowners, who often
make complaints tothe
association about their
lawns being “butchered.”
But it has also been difti-
cult for credible compa-
nies, Whose workers
completed training and
certification programs, 10
baule the reputation of the
shrub shredders. In the
business, alf credentials are
voluntary.

Many members of his
association would like to
see stricter regulations in

lace through municipal
icensing requirements.
But as that would take
years to achieve, Meyer
prefers to see people uer
smarter about where their
shrubs are coming from.

Just as you shouldn’t buy a stereo out of someone's trunk,

neither should you buy hor plants.

NEWS photo Mike Wakefletd

TODD Major, left,
looks at the empty
earth at Park and
Tilford Gardens. The
facility was hit by
four thefts recentiy.
Suzanne Efand,
above, holds her son
Hayden, who shows
how tall her two
Japanese maple
trees were. They

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“If the guy doesn’t ha + bill of sale, that’s a red flag that were stolen.
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