What A Cheek!
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
United Kingdom
October 27, 2016 8:03am CST
In the summer I received a visit from a friend I hadn't seen for some time. She came with a gift for me - a beautiful bunch of flowers. I marvelled at the fact that she'd included all my favourite ones.
We chatted for a while, and when she was leaving she laughed and said "Oh, by the way - the flowers are your own. They looked so beautiful growing in your garden that I just had to pick them!".
I was flabbergasted - what a cheek! She meant well, so somehow I managed to refrain from giving her a piece of my mind, but I much prefer my flowers to be where they belong - in the garden.
Would you have been pleased that she liked the flowers enough to pick them, or would you have been annoyed, like me?
Photo is of my garden.
61 people like this
64 responses
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
27 Oct 16
How could she gift you with your own flowers! I think I won't be pleased either if anyone just cut flowers from my garden and then give them to me. How could she just do that without your permission? Just like you, I don't pick the flowers in my garden and want them to stay with the plants till they wither.
That photo, is that your garden? Soooo colorful...beautiful!
3 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60293)
• Perth, Australia
15 Mar 17
@jaboUK Something like that would have bothered me yes. I'm very particular with how I want my things and where I want them. But if someone went to pluck out flowers from the ground where they are actually meant to be then that would really annoy me!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
15 Mar 17
@VivaLaDani13 You feel the same as me about this. I much prefer to see my flowers growing in the garden.
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60293)
• Perth, Australia
20 Mar 17
@jaboUK Not only do they belong in the ground but they were in YOUR garden. If you wanted them to come out then that would be your decision. 
1 person likes this
@much2say (53909)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Oct 16
I would have been completely annoyed!! I would never pick off of anyone's garden (and have taught my kids to respect other people's gardens as well) - you'd think others would have that same sort of respect (obviously she didn't 
).2 people like this
@much2say (53909)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Oct 16
@jaboUK But one thing my kids cannot control themselves over is picking those dandelions. Sure the neighbors would glad someone plucked out a weed . . . but then I think of when they blow on the dandelions and all those seeds get scattered for MORE dandelions. Oh, I'm sure the neighbors "love" that 
!
!2 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
27 Oct 16
That was very rude of her! You do not do that and especially don't brag about it. I don't blame you for being annoyed.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
27 Oct 16
@LovingMyBabies I'm glad you see it my way Jennifer. She didn't think she'd done anything wrong.
@MarshaMusselman (38616)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Oct 16
I , too, would have been quite upset. I guess it's a good thing she at least came clean on telling you for surely you'd have noticed when you went outside, but I'd be real upset if someone did that to my garden without my permission. I commend you for not slapping her.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@MarshaMusselman Oh yes, I would have noticed as soon as I went into the garden, so at least she didn't try to deceive me in the end. Lol - I did feel like slapping her
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
27 Oct 16
I would have had to really bite my tongue. That takes nerve to pick flowers from your garden and then give them to you. Like you, my flowers look much better in the gardens.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@Morleyhunt I'm pleased that you feel the same as me in that the flowers look better where they are growing. This woman obviously didn't think so.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@Morleyhunt Lol - I wouldn't go so far as to say that cut flowers were attractive compost, and when people do occasionally give them to me, I accept them gracefully. I just don't want to take my own flowers out of their habitat
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
28 Oct 16
@jaboUK my mother was never gracious when receiving a gift...cut flowers, she was downright rude....when my children (very young at the time) found a unique African violet (her favourite) we purchased it as a gift. On receiving it, she promptly took the children upstairs to show them she already had two like that in an upstairs bedroom. They were crushed.....rarely brought her anything other than a very generic card after that.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23228)
• Bangalore, India
27 Oct 16
Um... that's why the garden is there to enjoy the flowers. She didn't need to pluck them. If it was a joke then it was a bad one.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
27 Oct 16
@Daljinder Yes, I think she thought it was a joke and expected me to laugh along with her. Didn't happen
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
28 Oct 16
Very very annoyed and as you say FLABBERGASTED!!I like my flowers in the garden too .What a beautiful beautiful garden. Now that it is getting chilly , people are starting to plant their season flowers and I miss that so much.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@responsiveme Yes, I was so surprised that she would do that, I didn't know what to say at the time. Sorry you are missing your flowers.
1 person likes this
@CoolPeace (1566)
• Miami, Florida
28 Oct 16
I think it is wrong to pick your flowers and then gave it back to you. What was she thinking? In my opinion that is not a friend or a nice person.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@CoolPeace I think she thought it funny, and that I would be amused. Didn't happen
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@CoolPeace Thank you, I spend a lot of time on it in the summer.
1 person likes this
@CoolPeace (1566)
• Miami, Florida
28 Oct 16
@jaboUK. You have a beautiful garden from the flowers to the grass.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
27 Oct 16
I think I would have been annoyed too. It seems a very rude thing to do. I suppose she meant no harm, but still, it seems like basic manners to not pick something that doesn't belong to you. In addition - even though I'm sure that she didn't intend it this way - it's sort of too easy, like giving you something that was already yours. ** comes over you your house, picks up the tv and says here you go, my gift to you.... ** lol
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@FayeHazel That's it exactly - giving me something that was already mine. I like the analogy about the TV.
. I like the analogy about the TV.1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
28 Oct 16
@jaboUK Lol - thanks, actually that would make a situation you would see in a comedy movie, the flowers or the tv
1 person likes this
@annierose (18926)
• Philippines
28 Oct 16
Oh, if I were in your place, I think I would get upset. If I have that beautiful garden of yours with such vibrant flowers, I would not want them to be picked, They are indeed very pretty to be picked.
1 person likes this
@annierose (18926)
• Philippines
28 Oct 16
@jaboUK Perhaps she does not have genuine love for flowers. Or maybe she feels that way because she does not grow flowers in her own garden. I see our plants are part of our family already. I feel unhappy when they die.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@annierose She thought the opposite - they were too pretty NOT to be picked.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@annierose I don't think she grows any herself, or she would understand how we gardeners feel.
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
29 Oct 16
Wow, that is quite outragious - I would have been very angry with her
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
29 Oct 16
@jaboUK you should steal £50 off her and buy her something nice with it and then tell her what you did - see how she likes it
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
29 Oct 16
@arthurchappell Yes, she had some gall.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
31 Oct 16
@arthurchappell Now there's a thought!
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
29 Oct 16
@jaboUK That was very rude.Cutting flowers from another person's garden without permission.And then giving those flowers as gift to the owner of the garden. I would have felt that she was making a fool out of me.Lovely flowers in your garden.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
30 Oct 16
@jaboUK So this is a photo from last summer.So now there are not many flowers.When do the flowers start to bloom again?
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
30 Oct 16
@silvermist I start planting again in May, so it will be June/July before there are flowers again.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
29 Oct 16
@silvermist You're right, it wasn't a nice thing to do. Thanks for your nice remark about the garden.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
28 Oct 16
like yerself, i'd been a tad ticky though i must confess i used to pick flowers fer mamaw back when she t'was still with's. she'd gone blind 'n enjoyed the diff'rent textures'n scents. i'd surely ne'er pick someone elses flowers like this gal did though - most brazen to do such!
1 person likes this
agreeing with you@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
28 Oct 16
@crazyhorseladycx I'm not saying that people shouldn't pick their flowers, that's their own choice, but they shouldn't be picking other people's
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
28 Oct 16
@jaboUK hmm, aint that what i wrote? who knows, the brain jest keeps misfirin'. i agree with ya completely, dear friend. i ne'er picked the flowers 'round here 'til mamaw couldn't get outdoors to enjoy 'em herself. then, t'was game'n, lol. i'd cut some from here that i knew she'd recall the scents/textures, 's well's 't her place. such brought her joy 'n filled her home with the aromas she so dearly loved.
folks who pick other's flowers ought to be tarred'n feathered :)
1 person likes this
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