Help! My yard guy mowed down my dwarf asters!

[stitcher73]

Hi everyone - I'm new to gardening and have my first heartbreak. I hire a man to cut my grass and only cut the grass. I do all my planting, weeding, mulching etc...the fun stuff!

Anyway, yesterday I came home and he had mowed down all 8 of my dwarf asters that border my front walkway. Just rode the mower right over the mulch beds. I was completely heartbroken. I literally cried in my front yard. I just planted them in early May and they were just starting to fill out and look like something, although no flowers yet.

Will they grow back or am I doomed?

 

[IcyBC]

I think if the roots are still healthy, then you will be ok, and they will grow back. Asters around my part of the world seem very hardy. A little tender loving care will help them grow and I am sorry that your lawn guy did that. Have you talked to him and let him know that was a terrible thing to do?

I certainly hope that your asters will come back!

 

[stitcher73]

I think if the roots are still healthy, then you will be ok, and they will grow back. Asters around my part of the world seem very hardy. A little tender loving care will help them grow and I am sorry that your lawn guy did that. Have you talked to him and let him know that was a terrible thing to do?

I certainly hope that your asters will come back!

Hi - I did speak with him. He didn't think it was a big deal, in fact, he seemed pretty irritated that I even mentioned it. I think it's time to go back to cutting my own grass.

I've been watering them and will start using Miracle grow to try to get them back.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

so sorry for you. but they should grow back. And it is a hard lesson to learn never assume a "garden" person knows stuff. I have many gardens that I will not let anyone near. I have easier gardens that I will walk through it and hand point and sometime stake out what to not touch when working around a plant. I have staked and flagged something in vibrant colors to have attention paid to to be careful. I do what I have to to get the point across. If they find it is insulting ---OH Well. But until they can prove to me they KNOW, I suspect the opposite .

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Hi - I did speak with him. He didn't think it was a big deal, in fact, he seemed pretty irritated that I even mentioned it. I think it's time to go back to cutting my own grass.

I've been watering them and will start using Miracle grow to try to get them back.

And with that attitude, of him not thinking its a big deal I would not even want him in my driveway.

 

[stitcher73]

And with that attitude, of him not thinking its a big deal I would not even want him in my driveway.

Thank you! I have a very small yard and there's no reason I can't mow it myself except pure laziness. I just want to do the fun stuff (dig in the dirt and plant pretty flowers)! I've decided to cut the grass myself so I'm very sure my plants won't be destroyed. I'm very hopeful they'll grow back. I'm babying what's left of them.

 

[DeborahJane]

Once upon a time we had a fellow come in to mow my lawn and help out. That was before we accidentally "misplaced" our business, unfortunately.
Stewart The 1st was great and that was when I didn't garden. I wasn't inspired and not too much was required but I really liked him, we had lovely chats, not about gardening and a few laughs but he retired. I recently invited him and his wife for afternoon tea so I could show off and flabbergast him! It worked.
Next came Eric who raced around the garden on his ride-on at top speed and complained that I was making obstacles course for him as I extended my garden.
And then came Stewart The 2nd. He really enjoyed watching my gardening expand. He told me it looked like I had team at work in my garden which was a real buzz for me. He would actually stay back after his time was up and chat garden. He left due to a bad back which coincided with our change of circumstances and now my husband mows the lawn on our little ride-on and I nag to get help with really heavy things but other than that it's all me and I'm very proud of it. It really is lovely to have likeminded people around you, isn't it?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

It is hard to find a good garden help, we have been trying for 26 years.

 

[stitcher73]

It is hard to find a good garden help, we have been trying for 26 years.

My mother had an AMAZING man doing her yardwork for years but he retired and she has never found anyone even remotely as conscientious as he was. She's currently using the same man I am/was - the one who mowed down my poor asters. Last year he decimated her Clematis plant; weed whacked too close to it and it was cut down and died. I'm going back to doing my own mowing.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I see you live in Wilmington, Delaware. I live just north of you in Southern Chester County, PA.

 

[stitcher73]

I see you live in Wilmington, Delaware. I live just north of you in Southern Chester County, PA.

Well hello there neighbor!

 

[Beth_B]

Hope your asters come back, @stitcher73! I'm sure they will. I wouldn't have that guy back either, not with his bad attitude.

The guy who mows my lawn is actually my best friend's husband. At first he wanted to do a scorched earth thing and ride over everything with his riding mower and cut everything short. It bothered him that I let the edges of the side yard go wild so they are big thickets of whatever native thing has taken root. But he's come a long way in the last two years. I've gotten him so well-trained that now if he sees something "interesting" in the grass he mows around it without me having to stick little utility flags all over my property.

 

[marlingardener]

Beth, there is a buried cable of some sort that borders our west property line. When the guys come through to mow, I take out a six-pack of chilled sodas, and ask them to please leave the wildflowers along the cable right-of-way. They always thank me, mow around but not over the wildflowers, and wave when they leave!
The state crew that is responsible for keeping grass from encroaching on the asphalt road are really nice guys. I told them that I realized they had to spray herbicide to protect the roadway, but if they could do as narrow a strip as possible, I'd sure appreciate it. They got the strip down to about six inches, I gave them fresh tomatoes from the garden, and we were all happy.
Your best friend's husband sounds like one of the guys that understands!

 

[Beth_B]

Beth, there is a buried cable of some sort that borders our west property line. When the guys come through to mow, I take out a six-pack of chilled sodas, and ask them to please leave the wildflowers along the cable right-of-way. They always thank me, mow around but not over the wildflowers, and wave when they leave!
The state crew that is responsible for keeping grass from encroaching on the asphalt road are really nice guys. I told them that I realized they had to spray herbicide to protect the roadway, but if they could do as narrow a strip as possible, I'd sure appreciate it. They got the strip down to about six inches, I gave them fresh tomatoes from the garden, and we were all happy.
Your best friend's husband sounds like one of the guys that understands!

Men. You just gotta train them right with positive reinforcement and treats. Ha!
Yeah he is a keeper. Last year I had a stand of something wild-or-other that blossoms big purple flowers July-August. So I asked him just to mow around that big clump. This year he not only remembered to mow around it without me asking, but he remembered that they were big purple flowers that attracted a lot of bees (because he got stung.)
My next door neighbor actually has a lawn-mowing and maintenance company and he's done my yard a few times. But I have to watch him like a hawk because he wants to flatten everything unruly, and my yard is mostly unruly.

 

[DeborahJane]

I

Men. You just gotta train them right with positive reinforcement and treats. Ha!
Yeah he is a keeper. Last year I had a stand of something wild-or-other that blossoms big purple flowers July-August. So I asked him just to mow around that big clump. This year he not only remembered to mow around it without me asking, but he remembered that they were big purple flowers that attracted a lot of bees (because he got stung.)
My next door neighbor actually has a lawn-mowing and maintenance company and he's done my yard a few times. But I have to watch him like a hawk because he wants to flatten everything unruly, and my yard is mostly unruly.

I like the sound of your mostly unruly garden Beth B.