WATERBORO — On first glance, someone viewing the gardens at Waterboro Public Library might not notice anything amiss. The pink peonies are fragrant and blooming, and so are the other flowers, lovingly planted and cared for in memory of local residents.

But sometime over the last weekend, someone went into the garden and helped themselves ”“ walking or driving away with a stoneware pot full of plants, and a big bouquet of red peonies they’d clipped, leaving just one. Geraniums were ripped from the other pots.

Folks associated with the library said the theft is disheartening.

“Who in the world would do that? It’s sad,” said librarian Ruth Blake. “It hurts everyone.”

The gardens were established a couple of years ago, with funds earmarked for the purpose, in memory of Barbara Lord. Her husband, Willis Lord, a long-time local selectman and state representative, who has also since died, looked on one September day in 2012 as members of the Ossipee Meadows Garden Club, Friends of the Waterboro Public Library, trustees and others prepared the soil and planted flower and shrubs.

The theft has been reported to the York County Sheriff’s Office.

And it isn’t the only one.

Sometime within the past couple of weeks, flowers blooming in a planter that holds the “Welcome to Waterboro” sign at the Waterboro and Alfred town line were also stolen.

As for the theft at the Waterboro Public Library, trustee Brigit McCallum said the value of the pot and the flowers probably amounts to about $50.

“We built these gardens for the enjoyment of the public,” she said.

A message on the town’s website asks anyone with information about the thefts to call the York County Sheriff’s Office at 324-1111 or leave a message on Deputy Shawn Sanborn’s Facebook page.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].