It sounds terrible. Can you post some before and after pictures so that we can better see what happened? Or, failing that, just some pictures of what it looks like now?

sigh I guess one has to look at the positive side, at least Seiryu is a fairly strong grower, and hopefully will only take a couple of years to recover a form that can be worked with. This relative probably has square boxwoods for his own landscape! :(

Susan

Did some one grab the nephew and slap him silly? If no one has, I will!

Seriously, that is horrifying. But, alas, not uncommon. On the Landscape Design and a couple other forums, there were very similar threads, in which the writers were lamenting some well-meaning in-law or relative who had decimated the landscape, thinking they were helping.

Even though the relative of your client was trying to be helpful, he should get the bill for replacing the tree and the Chusquea. Unless it is already shooting again to replace the lopped culms. As a bamboosera, my heart goes out to you.

--'Reid,..
.....feel for you...,
dare one bring up the point of understanding the Author's Intent, before pruning or making changes in a garden and why one should try to understand the reasons for what is where, why there is meaning attached to a branch hanging over water..
there is no 'meaning', yet, meaning it is valuable to have there for a reason because it does 'something'... that at least meant something to 'Reid...
-and to have the client understand that you have sole rights to care for 5-? 10 years? to establish -guide the development.
?...
edzard

It is so rare to find a client who understands, or at least respects the subtleties of the art enough to have the designer/installer also be the garden's caretaker. Even museums, botanical gardens and other institutions with Japanese gardens don't have that depth of understanding.

Most just want a "look" without being concerned about underlying meaning. When an art form becomes too esoteric, it loses the appreciation and patronage of the public.

But, there will always be a handful of affluent aficionados who will fund the keeping of such gardens. We'll have to accept that the rest of humankind is content with gardens that "look Japanese enough.";)

This is heartbreakng. To have the funds to have a beautiful garden designed then have someone ruin it. I hope she has cut him out of the will. And for you to see your work destroyed must have been awful. I can't understand how anyone can be so forward and prune someone elses plants with out asking permission first.

Learning to prune is why I am so excited about the symposium in Seatle. If we are going to attenpt things on our own we at least need to try and learn as much as we can before pruning. I feel your pain because if it were me and someone did this and ruined what I have spent so much time and energy on I would be really really MAD!!!!!

And even if the nephew replaced the plants, you said you designed the pond around the Acer Seriyu. So the plants played an important part in the design and can not be easily replaced and have the same effect as your original design.

It would be a great lesson on what not to do and I think it is a wonderful idea to post before and after photos.
Let us know what happens and if you are able to rectify this mess.

We all understand what you must be feeling, Jando