smashed hosta help

[Val]

We hired a gutter company to work on our gutters- we live on a wooded lot in Central Illinois, with lots of maples, oaks, walnuts, hackberries, locusts, etc.....so not much grows in the woods. I have put in lots and lots of hostas around the foundation of the house- most are fairly mature. Today the "gutter guys" smashed them by placing wood boards and ladders on top of them while they did their work- about 40 mature hostas are all broken off at the base (just about every leaf stem). Is there ANY hope in them coming back? Can I do anything to help them? Is it legal for me to strangle the gutter guys (okay, if not strangulation, at least painful torture)?

 

[nocnurse]

I'd lay odds they will all come back. It's pretty hard to kill a hosta. I'd spread some compost around them, and make sure they get water. Other than that just be patient. I had a hellabore that came back from the dead almost 2 years after my husband weed wacked it down. An established root system is a wonderful thing.

 

[jonestavern]

I'd lay odds they will all come back. It's pretty hard to kill a hosta. I'd spread some compost around them, and make sure they get water. Other than that just be patient. I had a hellabore that came back from the dead almost 2 years after my husband weed wacked it down. An established root system is a wonderful thing.

nocnurse is right on the money. BUT how unprofessional of the gutter folks. Totally unnecessary damage. There should definitly be some compensation there. As an avid gardener I would state more MATURE plants, please & help on planting them(if this is difficult for you). Now, I'm not saying lawsuit at all, just a recognition of the damages. an apology & some effort to make it right. Perhaps the boss doesn't even know the damage occurred, I can't imagine he/she would want the company image tarnished by
such inconsideration. As an owner of a sign shop if it were our guys damaging landscaping, you can bet I'd want to hear of it.
Hoping yr hostas come back & you at least get an apology & perhaps some bucks off the job.

Jean

 

[Mamu]

Sadly workers do not feel the same about plants as we do. A hosta strangulation with the smashed leafs might help you feel better, but honestly the buds are correct hosta are tough plants. They may look pitiful this year but with some TLC and lots of water they should spring back next year.

 

[DebºoºS]

Buds are right again. They should come back with TLC. Mine have been eaten by the dog and come back. Just today I trampled a huge one when I was maneuvering around the pond. It was either I fall into the pond or crush the hosta and well it's not that hot out to go in the pond.

I would explain to their "boss" what the workers did. It was an accident but still you should be compensated for the damage.

 

[rockyroad]

Buds are right again. They should come back with TLC. Mine have been eaten by the dog and come back. Just today I trampled a huge one when I was maneuvering around the pond. It was either I fall into the pond or crush the hosta and well it's not that hot out to go in the pond.

I would explain to their "boss" what the workers did. It was an accident but still you should be compensated for the damage.

One plant, or two, or even ten, but 40 plants trampled is not quite an accident.

 

[DebºoºS]

True it would appear that it wasn't accident. If it wasn't an accident then they intentionally trampled all of them?

 

[Val]

We called the manager of the "gutter guys" today.....the manager wasn't available, so we left word with the secretary. A couple of hours later the worker came back and apologized, but no word from the manager. We deducted $100 from the bill and told the worker that if he wanted the extra $100 we expected some direct contact from his boss....

....some leaves are standing up today. I watered (we are in a little bit of a drought condition) and I propped up what I could. The workers also chopped a hole in one of my large viburnums (it looks like the kids were on some kind of expedition and chopped through it) and bumped a cow plant stand containing some pansies off the front porch-broke the poor cow's horn off! The cow planter is really a stupid thing, but my dad made it when I was little. He passed away in '93 and the silly old thing means a lot to me...can't find the broken horn anywhere!!!! May have the kids look for it on the ground again tomorrow.

I hate worker-guys who don't care about plants. We are originally from Seattle and miss the trees and shrubs immensely. We have worked very, very hard to get the yard looking "Seattle-ish"...and now this! Oh well, the hostas will come back eventually, the viburnum will fill out and the cow will now have a funny story. Guess no one died or was permanentl injured and the world won't end.....but I still am a little p***ed off!

Thanks for the support!

 

[Cruise04]

It's not the fact about if they care about plants or not but that is personal property and they should have been more careful and at least moved the stuff out of their way and not laid their ladders on your plants!!!!

I'm sorry about your plants and your planter - I'd be pretty mad too!!!!