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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be angry about this

154 replies

Wheredidallmytreesgo · 30/04/2020 15:15

Bought a house a few months ago, and the garden is huge and stunning. I know bugger all about gardening and I’m as useless as a chocolate tea pot. The gardener of the previous owner had worked there for 15 years so we decided to keep them on. They asked for more hours per week as they said the garden needed a bit of an overhaul/extra time than they had been able to give. Fair enough. We also paid them quite a lot of money to spend a weekend clearing out weeds, old shrubs they said needed to go. All fine so far.

A week later I come home to find they they have absolutely mutilated my garden. They had removed about 6/7 trees and shrubs and essentially left a huge fucking patch of dirt around my garden. I think received a hefty bill for this and also then had to pay to have the trees removed.

I was in a state of shock I suppose and thought “what’s done is done”, paid and didn’t say anything else. He kept working for us. I asked if he had a plan of what to replace the trees with and he said “that’s not really what I do, landscaping”. So no. Just a dirt heap in my garden.

Luckily a good friend of mine is a genius with gardens and has developed a beautiful plan but now that lockdown has stopped everything and I am looking at my shitty fucking dirt patch every day where there were such beautiful trees...I’m just getting ragier and ragier (I doubt those are words but you know what I mean).

AIBU? Should I let it go? Can I even do anything at this stage?!

Here’s a tree as a thank you for reading such a long post 🌲

OP posts:
caramac04 · 30/04/2020 15:18

I’d be furious

Josette77 · 30/04/2020 15:19

I think yabu to not say something at the time. You need to fire them and hire someone who will respect you. They've worked there for 15 years and just decided to dig up all the trees? That's bizarre and unacceptable.

IGottaGetOuttaThisPlace · 30/04/2020 15:21

I think you need to tell him you're not happy

Lailaloo747 · 30/04/2020 15:21

Hmmm I think you should have said something at the time.
Unfortunately that ship has sailed!

Totallycluelessoverhere · 30/04/2020 15:22

Did he take the trees and shrubs for his own new garden?

BluntAndToThePoint80 · 30/04/2020 15:25

Have you asked (calmly) why they removed so much - were they diseased for example ? There might be an explanation.

If not, explain what you’re not happy about and see what he says.

However, ultimately your chance to object was at the time. You’ve paid for it now so there’s not much you can do if he gives unsatisfactory answers. Even if you took further action the fact you’ve already paid and raised no objection at the time will count against you.

You’ll probably have to find someone else and learn from this. Discuss and agree work (and cost) in advance. Check things like what happens to waste etc... or any extras (if they supply feed or bark for example).

Original poster
Wheredidallmytreesgo · 30/04/2020 15:26

He burnt all the trees! Which I paid for!

Yes, I do think I was Very unreasonable not to say something at the time - lesson learnt.

He said the trees were dead. But all of them?!

I wonder if I can send a photo of before and after so people understand! It was also a LOT of money I paid him

OP posts:
zscaler · 30/04/2020 15:33

I would be furious too. My parents’ gardener once took it upon himself to chop down a really beautiful mature tree. To make matters worse, he then scrawled a really ugly cartoon face on the sad stump. My parents did address it and he was very apologetic (and removed the stump for free) but it was such a shame.

SRS29 · 30/04/2020 15:41

Did you see him burn the trees or he said he burnt them? If the latter I would wonder if he sold them on....shrubs/trees and be costly...I would be furious Sad

Catsingangs · 30/04/2020 15:41

I'd get shot of him OP, if he's burning waste then he's not a pro. Next gardener you approach make sure they have waste carrier licence and public liability insurance. You can verify their WCL on the environment agency website.
I'm a gardener and would never remove shrubs or trees even if dead without the go ahead from the customer.

NeutrinoWrangler · 30/04/2020 15:42

I agree with Blunt.

I'm not sure there's much to be done at this point, though you could speak to him about how surprised and disappointed you were that he made such costly and substantial changes without your specific approval. It's for the best that he knows you aren't happy with how things worked out and doesn't assume you were satisfied.

If you're very angry and don't trust him any longer, it's probably best to find another gardener. Otherwise, in future I'd want greater detail about what he will and will not do, how much each project will cost, etc. He no longer has carte blanche, because his idea of tidying things up might mean tearing out valuable plantings and leaving behind a mess.

I'd be angry, too. It might be that the trees truly were dead, but it sounds like he left it looking much worse than when he started, without even warning you that you'd need to hire a landscaper to fix things afterwards.

Shamoo · 30/04/2020 15:44

Oh how terrible. I would have cried on the spot. Hate trees being cut down for no reason. Photos needed!!

Original poster
Wheredidallmytreesgo · 30/04/2020 15:46

Look at this

To be angry about this
OP posts:
Original poster
Wheredidallmytreesgo · 30/04/2020 15:46

All the top and the right hand side were lovely trees and shrubs. All fucking gone

OP posts:
OneandTwenty · 30/04/2020 15:49

He kept working for us.
THAT is where you are more than BU!

I would have been absolutely fuming, you did nothing wrong. He seemed trustworthy based on previous work, how could guess.
You were conned, he did anything just to get money. DO not get that con artist back on your property ever again.

Many nurseries deliver around here, could you afford to put a few pots or cheap plants to hide the patches of dirt a bit until your friend can go through their rescue plan? Or make a vegetable garden if you have kids around...

I would sack him on the spot.

Bluntness100 · 30/04/2020 15:49

Did you check the trees, were they dead? If so he was right to take them out. It would be unlikely he would take them out for no reason.

OneandTwenty · 30/04/2020 15:50

that's huge!

could you ask your friend how to start replanting some bits yourself? it's not that difficult if someone gives you the right direction.

Bluntness100 · 30/04/2020 15:50

he did anything just to get money

That makes no sense, he’s done the work, if he was just after money he’d have done much less.

OneandTwenty · 30/04/2020 15:51

it does make sense, he did completely unnecessary work to get more cash, and have LESS work to do now that he doesn't have to maintain trees and shrubs or whatever was there before.

Bluntness100 · 30/04/2020 15:52

Op where are the stumps? He would need to have employed someone to grind them out, and there is no evidence of that, are you sure there were trees there?

Bluntness100 · 30/04/2020 15:53

Op, can you post the before?

HollyBollyBooBoo · 30/04/2020 15:55

How bizarre. I guess they could have all been diseased but he should really have explained his plan and what it would look like afterwards!

FinallyHere · 30/04/2020 15:55

At work, we all have to put up with people with whom we are not in tune. At least, at home, you get to pick who works there.

Find someone who is in tune with you.

Enjoy.

Onone · 30/04/2020 15:56

Shock think you have been had!

Thedogscollar · 30/04/2020 15:56

I'd be livid. Did the trees look healthy to you prior to him burning them? Surely he should have had the courtesy of telling you his plans, which have resulted in such massive changes to your garden.
I'd love trees in my garden so YADNBU.