The botanical gardens at the University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus cover ten acres – that’s a lot of plants, so they probably can’t keep track of them all and wouldn’t miss one puny shrub that would look fantabulous on the grounds of SorryWatch Park. Right?

The juniper everybody wants.

Wrong. Apparently they do notice these things. When a small topiary juniper tree/bush was dug up and carted off, the gardeners detected the absence. They posted plaintively on Facebook: “Please help. This weekend, probably Sunday, this topiary was stolen from the UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden. We have been training this tree for over three years. It was a favorite of the staff, particularly one of our recently retired gardeners who spent hours shaping it. We are a free garden. We know that we will lose flowers here and there, and we know that some people will take advantage of us, but this one hurts. Our guess is that this plant was taken for installation in someone’s yard — It will probably go in this week. We’re not interested in pressing charges, or in punishing anyone, we just want our topiary back. Please share this post and help us get our plant back.”

SHE noticed it was there.

“Free garden” means that they don’t charge admission – and they don’t have gates. Nothing to stop thrifty but unprincipled people (aka “cheap jerks”) from carting off everything their lazy hearts desire.

500 people shared that post. Facebook followers responded with criticisms for thieves, mean people, and human beings. Another botanical garden offered to donate a similar-sized topiary. One poster put up a photo of the tree being admired by a family member a few weeks before the treejacking.

The next day staff found the tree was back, with an anonymous note of apology.

Dear Botanical Gardens gardeners,

I’d like to apologize for taking this topiary from the garden.

Initially I had assumed that it was simply an average bonsai, one which would go unnoticed upon being taken. Only three days have passed since I took it, but I now realize that every plant is special to those who take care of them. I couldn’t possibly understand how my theft impacted the gardeners who had worked for years to attain such a beautiful tree, nor how it would affect the community, who would no longer be able to enjoy it in its rightful place. I have no reasonable explanation for taking it, and for that I am deeply apologetic. I attempted to maintain the root system as best I could, but if the tree is unable to survive I plan on making amends in the form of a donation.

Green Animals Conference in Karachi. They would totally notice if you dug up the topiary kangaroo or the seal. But hey, they have TWO lemurs, TWO rabbits…. Wait, they have FOUR of those mountain goat things. Way more than they need. Just saying.

I am deeply ashamed and hope that you may be able to forgive me, but I’m understanding if there is difficulty in doing so. Thank you for not only being a splendid garden, but splendid people as well.

The staff and volunteers were thrilled. Director Jeff Gillman told WBTV, “It was such a kind and thoughtful note and we were touched, and all was immediately forgiven.” He posted a new note on Facebook: “Dear Person Who Returned Our Tree, Thank you. The topiary that you returned means more to us now because of your act of kindness, We hope that you will visit the Gardens again frequently. You are always welcome here.”

And they immediately replanted the dangerously appealing juniper.

Don’t even think about it. Swans are MEAN.

(A petty part of SorryWatch wants to argue about “simply an average bonsai” – that is not a bonsai, not even a giant one – but that’s beside the point.)

That’s a very good apology. You know exactly what they’re apologizing for, and have a pretty good idea of what they were thinking. They apologize to the gardeners, and to the public. When they say they will make a donation if the tree doesn’t make it, it’s believable.

No wonder the apology was accepted, even celebrated. And the topiary is now a celebrity with a back story, and will have even more admirers.

SorryWatch Park will get its plantings some other way.