PLANTS have been stolen from an award-winning community garden which is due to be viewed by RHS Britain in Bloom judges.
Mystery surrounds the theft at the Malvern Cube which is suspected to have happened sometime over the weekend of Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 while people were using the centre.
June Baguley said she came in to work on the garden the following Tuesday (June 3) and noticed several plants had been ripped out of the ground but the area had not been visibly damaged or vandalised.
It is estimated about ten plants have been stolen including a five foot tall Eucalyptus tree and flowers which were donated to mark a couple’s wedding.
Among the thefts was an Artemesia which June described as ‘irreplaceable’ because it had taken years to grow to the stage it was at.
“I came in on the morning and stood here and it was obvious what had happened,” she said.
“It was definitely planned before had it wasn’t something random.
“People were here and could of seen people working on the garden like I do and not thought anything of it.”
June said the choice of plants taken was strange as the culprit ignored expensive Lillie’s and Roses as well as flowers in pots which they could have easily lifted away.
The community area won a silver award at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show in 2010 – now RHS Malvern Spring Festival – before the town’s Quaker group had it transported and rebuilt at the Malvern Cube on Albert Road North.
The circular garden is split into four different segments named Truth, Simplicity, Equality and Peace with the flowers in each carefully chosen to represent each word.
June added: “I just think it is very sad. Maybe the person did not know it this was a peace and consolidation garden and they have violated that very principle.
“Its a community space for everyone to come and sit and have some quiet time.”
She said it was almost as if the thief had tried to steal ideas from the garden but added it was doubtful the plants would have survived because they had been cut out and were likely to be severely damaged.
The garden has not been formally entered as part of Malvern’s RHS Britain in Bloom bid but judges are still set to visit it to see ‘the principle we are trying to achieve’ June added.
Anyone with information on the incident should call police on 101 using the reference 22CC-36010Q-14 .
