For me (at least so far!) its not thieves, its the weather at the end of the season that can steal my plants. So ultimately I'm in the same boat, I love and appreciate how full and beautiful they are now, and I know that further along they get the more vulnerable they are to bud rot, powdery mildew, and fall wind storms. It is highly unlikely that all nine of my plants will finish, I just don't know which ones will make it.