Cutting through garden centre theft

I am going to admit to a crime and I fully expect to have a visit from the long arm of the law.

He must be mad I hear you mumble into your computer screens! Why would anyone admit to a crime?

However, this crime has been committed in the name of research and I hope any garden centre  operators or nurserymen will benefit from my observations.

I walked around a garden centre [The name of this garden centre will remain anonymous for mutual protection.]

I pinched (pun intended) with my fingertips the tips of a Hydrangea petiolaris, a Lonicera (honeysuckle) and a Rosemary and squirrelled them away into a small plastic bag which I had in my pocket.

When I arrived home I removed the cuttings or pinching's in my case and tidied them up with secateurs. I then dipped them in rooting compound and potted them directly into a silver sand and sharp sand medium. After watering I sat them on the window sill where they have shown an excellent response in the last week.

If these plants survive I would have potentially saved £40.00 plus.

So what was the point of the exercise? It certainly was not to get something for nothing but to demonstrate how plant hunters can make money and steal any form of plant from any location they desire without detection.

I wonder if this is a wide scale problem and if there are any known examples that centre owners can tell me about?

It has also got me wondering what theft occurs at open gardens and attractions like the Eden Project or The Lost Gardens of Heligan?