Michael Farley knows times are tough for people in this economy. But an economic recession is no grounds for stealing, especially a beloved plant from Farley’s own front yard.

“Why would someone do this? Is life that hard?” said Farley.

On the evening of Tuesday, June 16, Farley was finishing his supper in his home at the corner of Milton and Millwood Streets when he looked out his front window to see someone who appeared to be tripping in his front yard. When Farley looked closer, he realized the individual had one of Farley’s plumeria plants in his arms.

Farley immediately ran out of the house in his stocking feet toward the direction of the “dirty gray Chevy pick-up truck” which then, according to Farley, “gunned it toward Adams Village.”

Farley was unable to record the vehicle’s license plate, but he described the alleged thief as average height, wearing a white shirt with red stripes and a Scally-type cap.

Since the alleged theft, Farley has placed a sign in his yard asking people to e-mail him directly with any information regarding the loss of three plumeria plants with “huge sentimental value,” said Farley. The plant sprouts the fragrant flowers that are used to make Hawaiian leis, but Farley said the plants taken had not yet bloomed this season.

One of the plants was purchased 25 years ago at the Boston Flower Show by Farley’s mother, the late Vera Farley, originally from Dorchester.
Some years after that, Vera gave her son the plumeria plant as a going-away present when he moved from South Boston to Kansas City, Missouri. The plant flourished in Kansas City, but then the plant was damaged in a storm and Farley was only able to salvage a branch which he then repotted.

The repotted branch was a part of the trio taken from Farley’s yard last week. Farley and his partner have lived in the area for ten years and have enjoyed getting to know their neighbors who always stopped to praise the plants.

Boston Police say they have not seen a pattern of garden-variety thefts in the neighborhood recently. Farley filed a police report and hopes anyone with any information will come forward.

“It’s just a tragedy. Like something surreal has happened,” he said.