Islanders discovered on July 8 that several gardening items had been stolen from Vashon High School’s educational horticulture garden.

Two wheelbarrows, two hoses and a tiller were taken from the garden, said Amy Bogaard, who teaches horticulture at the high school.

The perpetrator unfastened a portion of fence that had been cut so manure could be dumped inside the garden, then refastened the fence after taking the items, Bogaard said.

“I feel pretty violated, honestly,” she said. “It looked like it was someone who knew all that stuff was there. … It’s such a bummer.”

Staff had purchased the tiller, a red Troy-Bilt machine, for about $500, Bogaard said. The hoses, both green, were 75 and 100 feet long. And there was one large gray wheelbarrow and one black wheelbarrow.

Now, she’s unsure how the horticulture program will have its garden tilled. Perhaps the school will have to hire someone, she said, because there’s no money to purchase a new tiller.

“This just wasn’t in the budget,” she said.