Nothing. That’s what’s left of the scattered wildflowers blooming, the salvia I dug up and transplanted and have been hand watering daily and the beautiful little 1 foot crepe myrtle tree that I transplanted as a volunteer this winter.
Because we have over an acre, we have guys come mow our lawn. And I have had a new crew for the last 6 months. And twice in the last month, they have sheared every single CLEARLY evident bloom off my butterfly bush and other shrubs and turned them into meatballs, after repeated requests that they simply NOT PRUNE in my yard. And today while I was watering, I looked for my little babies and realized they mowed the pathway and weed-eated along the fence and obliterated it all.
So, right now I am in tears. It wasn’t that much, but it’s the principle and it’s work I did with my own two hands, trying to build something from scratch. I don’t know if anyone else will really get it, but I know you will. I just had to vent.
Tomorrow I’ll call them and try to figure out a way to make this work. I know they were only trying to be helpful, but this isn’t helping.
Oh, how frustrating and disappointing to have your plantings destroyed by their carelessness, especially after giving specific instructions. Do they send different workers each time who just guess what they are supposed to do? It sounds like Demolition Landscaping.
northern shade — no,it’s the same guys, but this is a wild, woody area and they just didn’t know. As for the shrubs, they SHOULD have know because these are not plants you prune now. But my experience is most yard guys don’t really know plants. thanks for the sympathy. I really was having my own little pity party, wasn’t I?
I’m sorry, Diana. How frustrating that must be. Maybe you could sprinkle baby powder around plants you want left alone before they come.
I do understand, I would be so very upset. You would think that lawn care people would be more CAREful and if they didn’t know for sure about something they should ask. I think most of them know about cutting grass but very little about plants and gardening. At least that has been my experience in dealing with lawn companies in our Homeowners Association.
Pam – that’s a good idea, I think I will just have to use rocks around plants since we have a lot of loose rock on the property. It was a wild area, so I understand the mistake, but it sure didn’t make it any easier when I discovered the massacre!
Robin – I think you’re right – they don’t know enough to question and they are just trying to clean up. Now I realize I have another wildflower spot and I have to make sure they DON’T take it upon themselves to work on that another time. I think another walk around the property is in order!
I think i would try to figure out how to be there when they come to mow. or find somebody else.
Like you said yourself, most yard guys are not plant people. My mother-in-law was complaining recently because hers cut down a rosemary, thinking it was a weed.
Bill – that’s good advice. I’m here often, but I think I will start scheduling myself here and just be out there working when they are here. Then we can build up a base of knowledge over time … mostly the lesson of be very careful in my yard and always ASK first if it’s something other than the lawn!
Oh no, I’ve had to save my mother’s tropical pool border from her lawn crew. If I had not been there they would have obliterated it. So sorry.
Deb
OMG, don’t give them an out. Talk directly. Mower men don’t understand someone trying to be nice to them. I mean you can be nice but direct. How frustrating!
Aunt Debbi – thanks for your sympathy. It is amazing, sometimes, isn’t it, what they will think they should cut, clip or pull out?
Lisa – Yeah – we’re gonna have a meeting of the minds here. Bad thing is that I am out of town on their day next week. I’ll have to talk to the head guy and rein them in until we can meet. Funny thing is, the crew I had for 3-4 years before that was so good that I called the head guy last year just to tell him how great they were. But they’re gone now : (
Oh, Diana – what a shame! I’ve never had any kind of help or lawn service so have no advice, only sympathy!
Good luck with trying to communicate what you need done.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks for the sympathy, Annie. Guess I should be happy that they are doing MORE than they are supposed to instead of less!