Don't steal our flowers!

The flowers at P. Garden are for the neighborhood. For everyone. Nobody should be taking flowers from the garden, except volunteers who are deadheading, or doing other tasks that involve removing plants with flowers that are done flowering.

If you see someone at the garden picking flowers, please remind them that the flowers are for everyone, and they are stealing from us all if they take them home for their own personal enjoyment. Some plants won't flower again if their flowers are removed. Some could even die.

It's also worth noting that  there's a law in San Francisco against damaging or stealing plants or trees in public gardens.

SEC. 4.06. - REMOVAL OF TREES, WOOD, ETC.

No person shall remove or take away any tree, wood, bush, turf, shrub, flower, plant, grass, soil, rock, or anything of like kind from any park without permission of the Recreation and Park Department.

SEC. 4.07. - PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF SECTION 4.06.

(a)

Any person convicted of a violation of Section 4.06 of this Code shall be punished by a mandatory fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500 upon a first conviction, by a mandatory fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 upon a second conviction and by a mandatory fine of not less than $150 nor more than $500 upon a third or subsequent conviction.

(b)

The court shall, in addition, impose a civil penalty of an amount necessary to reimburse the Recreation and Park Department for the value of the tree, wood, bush, turf, shrub, flower, plant, grass, soil. compost, rock, water or other material removed as well as any labor expended to replant or otherwise restore the area affected. Any revenue collected as a civil penalty pursuant to this Section shall be credited to the Recreation and Park Department.

So please: don't hesitate to protect the garden and prevent flower theft. I'm not going to hesitate to call the police and have someone cited for stealing from our garden.