Plant Theft Continues at Chiswick House Gardens
Hundreds of pounds worth stolen from wilderness area
Thieves are now target the wilderness area of the gardens. Picture: Chiswick House and Gardens Trust
April 13, 2025
Plant theft at Chiswick House Gardens is continuing with thieves now targeting the more remote areas of the grounds.
The Chiswick House and Gardens Trust reported this week that plants to the value of several hundred pounds have recently been stolen from the wilderness areas. They were all part of the work undertaken by gardeners and volunteers this spring as part of the 'Letting the Light In' project.
There was previously a spate of thefts in the gardens towards the end of last year with shrubs and larger established plants taken from the garden’s shrubbery and rosary.
This prompted the notification of the police and the installation of extra cameras which seems to have forced criminals to move to less exposed areas.
As before the Trust is asking regular visitors to the gardens to help it reduce thefts. It points out that all its gardeners and volunteers wear high vis vests with the Chiswick House & Gardens Trust logo on them. If you see anyone removing plants while not wearing a CHGT hi vis vest, report this to info@chgt.org.uk with a description. You are asked to be mindful of your own safety and avoid confronting anyone directly.
Theft from public gardens has become endemic across the UK particularly since the pandemic when interest in gardening as a hobby grew significantly. Plants are taken both for personal use and resale. Some gardens have put markers on plants and worked in cooperation with local garden centres to identify thieves.
The Trust says, “Thank you again for your interest in this beautiful and historic green haven. Knowing that people love these gardens as much as we do makes a big difference, particularly when we are forced to tackle vandalism and theft.”
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