Dear Barbra
I am so sorry. You would think that if he didn't know he would do nothing or at least pick up a phone and call. At the very least, get a different yard guy.

I am furious for you..

errgh!
c

I would be crying (and yelling), and getting a new yard man too. Your cannas may not be toast though. Put them back in the ground and soak them down, maybe they'll come back. Cannas are tough.

Oh, how dare he just plunder through your garden like that, especially since you've stopped him in years past! I'd be so furious and he would definitely hear about it!

Pam

Was this an established company or just some guy you hired working out of the back of his truck that requires his payment in cash every week? The benefits of paying extra for an established reputable company to do your yard work is that they will stand behind their employees work and when a error is made on their part, they do what is necessary to make it right with the customer.

It sounds like your "yard man' is a scab/undocumented worker. Does he charge sales tax or accept checks with his company in the 'pay to' line or take credit cards? If he doesn't it's because he doesn't want to leave any type of money trail that the state or IRS can follow.

These deal of the year 'yard men' can get very expensive when they start destroying your landscape, breaking windows and killing your lawn and then disappear not to be heard/seen again

I may be too harsh!!
Flog him and his boss with a rose bush branch.
Then get a new garden service. There is no excuse for that kind of inept service, especialy since they have been corrected in the past.
pa

Marti, the plants were already thrown out before I got home. Problem is he cannnot speak English, my husband has to talk to him, he told him last year. He does our entire street, maybe the neighborhood. I think we were his first customers back in the 80's. I think my husband did not water while I was gone, and he was just trying to make the yard look good. I watered before I left and the flowerbed was in great shape, the new variety coneflowers were in full bloom, now they are gone. I will have to reseed everything, can someone tell me the best time to put out seeds for plants like cupea? I will need to look at the photobuck from last October, to see what else I had. If anyone has extra seeds of flowering plants, please bring to the plant swap, I will be needing them. Barbra

What a shame!
I have a pot of fanick pholx you can have.

That misunderstanding was most unfortunate. I'll look through my seeds and see if there are some that would work for you. Hopefully someone has some coneflower seeds to bring. They reseed easily, but might not be the variety you had. Put a request on the SAPS thread in case people coming haven't read this thread.

Hello Honeybunny2, I can feel your pain, last year I lost a curry plant (which Indians use a lot in cooking) and thats somehow hard to grow in Houston. I was mad too. Maybe your yard guy wanted to do his best to make the beds clean and nice for you when you came back. He kind of overdid it.. Most of the yard guys who come for mowing our grass speak very lil English and also our yard guy brings other guys for help and each time there will be anew set of guys. Its hard to explain and communicate. I make it a point to call my yard guy every weekend before he comes and give him instructions..inspite of that he ends up pulling or leaving stuff :(

I'm sure this group will have plenty of info for you to make the reseeding a breeze. Have a great weekend.

Kathy, I will take it. How did the hot pink phlox I gave you do? Thank goodness, it was in the bed next to the back gate, he did not do that bed. Barbra

Sorry Barbra! I know what you mean. I had a yard guy for a while (well a group of illegals I believe) and they did the same thing to me. I always heard "No comprenda"! Well they understood when I fired them! Really happy with my new crew. If there is anything you need that I have, just let me know. I have lots of fennel seed if you want some. The swallowtails love it! Come on down!

Barbra, so sorry to hear about the garden disaster. Be sure to post a list for us. I look forward to meeting you in October.

We have no lawn and I'm beginning to think not having a lawn service is a bigger bonus than not having to water.

I'd be screaming and yelling myself! Maybe, if you're lucky, there were already some seeds that had fallen or some from last year that will sprout in the spring? I don't have anything to send you but hope and good wishes, but those are coming your way by the basketful!

I have had yard men in the past (stopped to save money), but they only did the yard, never my flowerbeds. Once the grass didn't need cutting, so I put them to work weeding. They were fantastic! I have hired neighborhood kids, etc., to weed, and they always pulled up something I valued, but not those guys. I wish I had the money to hire them again. Sorry you have had a bad experience. Is there any way you can tell them to mow the yard but leave the flowers alone? And by the way - they grow flowers in Mexico (or Canada or wherever they're from), too. They should know better.

Fire the yard guy! Seriously...I don't care how long he has been working for ya'll. Hire somebody new who has at least a minimum understanding of English. Make sure he understands that he's never to be there unless you are. Don't give his name or number to your husband and make sure hubby understands he's not to ever call the previous yard guy...ever! Then get hubby's credit card and go shopping at some nursery...just put enough charges on it to make your point. Good luck in the future. I feel your pain.

Sounds like you need to fire him and hire someone who knows about gardening. That is stupid of him to do something like that without asking, especially since you told him NOT to do it the previous year. When you hire someone else, instruct them that they are to mow and edge only and to stay out of your flowerbeds.

I would be crying too!!

I just went outside to water the flowerbed on the side of the house. There are tiny plants coming up everywhere. I sure hope they are flowers. I deep water every week, and there was nothing last week. I think alot of seeds may have fallen before he pulled up the plants. I am confused as to why they are coming up now, and not the spring. They look like bean seeds when they come up. I have my fingers crossed, I hope they are not weeds. Barbra

That's terrible!! Man I would've been *so* upset too! I hope all the new seedlings coming up are flowers :o)Maybe they had already dropped their seeds, that would be a real blessing!

It amazes me just how quick so many are to jump on the gardener here. I guess it reflects a deep-seated xenophobia. If I were you, I'd berate my spouse. As you've stated, he is able to communicate with him and was aware of your desires. Anyways, best of luck with your garden.

There is a solution to this kind of problem - it's called Do It Yourself.

Ha! Well, most people can't afford the yard helper anyway!