Devastated - can't believe my builder did this

He’d gone to work

It is sad about today builders mother...but the two are not connected. Get him to come over and ask him how the garden is acceptable! Ask him to make good or compensate you.
Running a tear over on the build suggests that they might have run rings around you.
Is your DH always so passive?
It is time to stand up for yourselves. Have you paid the final bill? If not, don't until the garden situation is sorted out.

This is interesting, because as a consumer I would assume that builders, who are not plant specialists, would literally clear the garden, as in this case. If I'd hired landscapers however, I'd expect them to discriminate.

If you brought builders in to do building work, and allowed them to temporarily use your garden as a dumping ground for rubbish and rubble, then 'clear garden' means 'clear up the mess we made'. Unless you think builders are stupid and you need to micro manage them with 'Make sure you clear only the rubbish and don't rip up and throw away my lawn.'

I get the point that most builders wouldn't know a weed from an award winning plant, but most builders I know do the job they're asked to do - not work that they don't even do day to day. They wouldn't have agreed to 'clear the garden' if they hadn't put rubbish in the garden.

I can’t imagine that clearing the garden down to bare earth was a quick job. Where was Dh in all this ?

This seems more likely to me, especially coupled with the fact that he hasn't contacted said builder to challenge the work given how upset his wife is at something he agreed to as its a lot of additional work to completely clear a garden even with equipment and incurs more effort in disposing of the 'waste' it seems wild that they would do this without a clear request (appreciate these were precious flowers and plants so not suggesting they are waste).

No way! I’d be incredibly upset too! Why on earth did the builder think that digging up trees and bushes and the grass, was part of clearing up the garden???
Are you sure your DH doesn’t know more about this because it seems strange that at no point he saw what was happening/happened?
Regardless of that, I’d be contacting the builder and asking him what on earth he thought he was doing and how is he going to rectify the situation. Put the ball in his court.

I’d be so gutted. Why didn’t your DH ask him as soon as he saw what he’d done with the trees etc?

I suspect there is more to this.

I suspect this garden was a total mess and was always going to need clearing down to nothing and your DH knew it. In fact I’d be inclined to think that your DH brought in someone to clear the garden independently.

it’s easy to see how a builder could remove smaller plants, but actively go in and chop down large established trees? Nope. Didn’t happen, and your DH is lying, probably because he sees the garden differently and knew it needed clearing.

What the actual fuck? Since when did "clear my garden (of your builders detritus)" translate to "clear my garden of every last living thing in said garden"

What??????

I am truly shocked

Firstly have a chat to builder's Dad as he cleared the garden

Secondly, if you can't get clarity, I'd have a chat to a solicitor about what can happen next

Maybe you have to put up and shut up but seriously.....if someone cleared my garden ....even cleared it of my weedy lawn which attracts LOADS of bees and butterflies....I would implode. I am appalled on your behalf, OP

Unfortunately, I don't think things were made clear to the builder. He cleared the garden, which is what it was agreed he would do. Your idea of that and his are clear every different, but that is what's been done. He hasn't actually done wrong, he's followed instructions. I think you'll just have to move on and make plans for the new look garden.

I can understand your upset, but I can also see that it was a misunderstanding. Hopefully he is not charging you for that part, as he could take you to small claims if you don’t pay as technically you agreed to ‘clear the garden’. I find it very odd though that anyone would think clear the garden meant pulling out established plants and trees, and the turf.

If his wife has been moved to a hospice I think the decent thing to do is wait a few weeks. But I doubt he is going to pay you for new plants, and if you don’t pay him in full you could be taken to small claims.

Clearly things were not properly discussed but honestly as someone who was a professional gardener many years try and keep it in perspective. It won’t take years and it won’t cost hundreds. Go on some free sites and facebook pages for plants. People are always giving stuff away. Many plants can grow several feet in a season and will make a fast screen. Yes you’ve lost sentimental plants but have they been cut down so will regrow, or completely dug out? Honestly, this isn’t as bad as it might feel at the moment. You’ll be surprised how fast and how easily you can establish a garden. I’ve done it from nothing several times. You just need the right sort of plants.

Didn't DH notice, I think I would have noticed if trees and bushes were being chopped down and there would be loads of waste. Next door had some trees chopped down and it looked like a big job.

This is interesting, because as a consumer I would assume that builders, who are not plant specialists, would literally clear the garden, as in this case. If I'd hired landscapers however, I'd expect them to discriminate.

The only person there, the DH, said it was a misunderstanding, so I think he dropped the ball and agreed that they should clear the garden. Both parties had a different understanding of this, and the builder carried out a builder's garden clearance, as he'd been instructed. It really does depend on the scope of works, which only OP knows what was included.

I'm sorry for OP, as this is understandably upsetting.

He's either stupid or he's using them himself/selling them on. It just doesn't make sense why he would do that without even checking with your DH first. You need to confront him about it OP.

Given the whole thing is running a year late ….. ??

I am sure OP will clarify if this element was done efficiently and swiftly compared to the rest of the build, if so they need the Dad to teach them how to project manage.

Depend how big the garden is. If they had a digger or a minidigger it would take no time at all

This is awful, I would be so upset!

But your DH should have said something at the time when he came back and saw what had happened! If it’s only been a couple of days, start talking to the builders now and try to sort something- even if just compensation.

What a nightmare 😢

What the hell!

I think you should contact the gardener and say, "When we said clear the garden, we meant clear up the building mess, not rip out all the plants. What on earth were you thinking? We now need to buy new plants which is going to cost a lot of money. Some of them had great sentimental value and cannot be replaced."

Is there a final payment due? I would price up the cost of replacing the plants and say you're deducting it from the final invoice.

A complete garden clearance like this is going to take a lot of time and effort, and generate several loads of waste. What was your husband doing and how did he not notice this before it was finished? 🤨

His wife is being moved to a hospice for palliative care….You’re beside yourself with grief over plants….Mumsnet classic and look at the Pimms O'clock responses lol.

Honestly, Im sure its your pride and joy but its just a garden, its just plants, in the grand scheme of life and of all things tragic that could happen to someone, its a shame but its not a tragedy. Its happened. It was a mistake not by design, he thought he was helping. Redesign your garden and plant some flowers.

i remember the days when Mumsnet was really not like this.

Consumer law defaults to your interpretation in the event of a "misunderstanding" (which this wasnt). On what planet does clear the garden mean destroy it and leave it bare, when you're a builder, not a landscaper?

What did your quote/invoice say? Often they put "clear rubbish and tidy" or something. But even "clear garden" wouldn't mean "take and dispose of my established trees and lawn".

You can knock off the cost of the damage. Think about it. If you brought him in to extend the back of your house, and he took it upon himself to remove one of your front windows (and not replace it!) and took down a wall along your front garden sobyou have no boundary structure, not only would you not pay him for unauthorised work but he'd be liable for what is legally considered damage.

I do agree that they've done "extra" to inflate the final bill, which says cowboy to me anyway. But even if they don't bill you, he's damaged your property at substantial cost to you, so offsetting it against the bill is the only remedy.

This is cruel and completely unnecessary.

I'm wondering if DH just hated the garden. Maybe he has plans for a man cave to be erected where your plum tree once stood.

Why on earth would the builder do this and why on earth haven’t you said anything yet?!