Today's guest post is from Sarah Kickler Kelber. You know her from Reality Check.

Let me start by telling you this: I am not a gardener. I have killed nearly every plant I've ever laid a finger on; this despite my farm-girl genes. So I steer clear of my husband's garden and let him tend to its needs and wants, unless he's out of town for a stretch, at which point I can be trusted to water, at least.

But he toils hard on our townhouse's little patches of green, and I am protective of his work.

Picture this, then: One morning, a couple of weeks ago, I left for work and noticed that the first dahlia of the season had bloomed in the garden just outside our front gate. It was gorgeous, vivid purple and white, and a sign that summer really was on its way. My husband noticed, too, and took the photo above that afternoon. The next evening, I got home and noticed the dahlia was gone. Huh?

"Did you trim the flower and take it to work or something?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I was hoping you had."

Nope, it turned out we'd been the victims of a garden thief.

Even though I hadn't done a thing to help that dahlia grow, except maybe help carry a bag of mulch at Home Depot, I was outraged on my husband's behalf. Here it was, the first flower of the year, and when he came home hoping to shoot it again, to document how it had continued to bloom, it was gone.

Worse, someone snatched the second blossom a few days later, too.

I wanted to put up a sign. Or a nanny-cam. Or at least a sign claiming that there was a nanny-cam. But I was afraid that might just lead to retribution, and I didn't want to see more damage done.

What kind of person would do that, I wondered? And then I thought ... maybe a little girl who believed the dahlia would look perfect in her hair. Or a boy trying to impress his girlfriend -- or give a gift to his mother.

If it was kids, they probably won't realize what they did until they start growing gardens of their own.

And if it wasn't ... well, a sign probably wouldn't deter the thief anyway, right? But I still keep contemplating that camera ...

(Photo by Judah Kelber)