Green-thumbed bandits target gardeners, growers on Coast

GREEN-thumbed bandits are continuing to terrorise Fraser Coast gardeners after more treasured plants and gardening tools were snatched from Maryborough homes over Christmas.

The theft has led to avid Maryborough gardener Maureen Taylor to reconsider putting her plants on display after several flowers and tools were stolen from her Clayton St residence two weeks ago.

It's the fifth-reported plant burglary in the Fraser Coast over the past two months after hundreds of expensive orchids were snatched from properties in Torbanlea and Maryborough last year.

While Ms Taylor doesn't grow orchids, she returned home on December 28 to find three flowers, herb plants, a hose and some garden tools missing from her balcony.

She told the Chronicle more than $100 had been stolen.

"It's horrific they've got the nerve to do that," Ms Taylor said.

"I already feel I don't want to go on holidays because of this, knowing something could be taken."

Ms Taylor's neighbour Palma Lucas was also a victim of the garden thieves, finding an ornamental dog statue missing that same day.

At another Maryborough residence, Declan Cooper also found himself on the receiving end after an eight-year-old cacti was stolen from his yard last week.

The plant, which had been grown by his grandmother and gifted to him, was worth more than $200.

"My grandmother planted that cacti when it was the size of a 50c piece and it's taken that long to grow to that size," Mr Cooper said.

"I feel a bit paranoid about the whole thing."

Police did not respond to inquiries about whether they were investigating the incidents. The thefts come just weeks after more than 200 orchids were stolen from two separate Fraser Coast greenhouses between November and December.