First keep them water and in the shade until you can plant them again. 2. See if you can contact the foreman and show him what his workers did. Let him explain what happen. Try to get in writing that if your plants should die, they will replace it. Some utility companies have a fund for this but not all. I also live a rented duplex and making them understand the plants are important to you is hard but it can be done.

I'd be mad too. I discovered after we had some remodel work done that a worker had used my flower bed to rinse out his paint brushes with paint thinner.

Keep them in the shade and watered well as you're doing. Be sure to shade them after you plant them too, for several days until they get over the shock. Use a lawn chair or stick tree branches in the ground around them, or whatever is handy. That will help them adjust. Maybe you'll get a break and have some cloudy and cooler days next week when you replant them. That would help as well. good luck

Well guys and gals-- no breaks here. The hydrangeas are almost dead despite intensive care while in temporary quarters, we're looking at hitting 100 degrees this week, the work still isn't done, and now the crew got my 'Nelly Moser' clematis which was growing up an antenna tower in the work zone and was about to bloom, on top of it all. Never mind the bedding plants. The kicker came when I actually fell into one of these holes last night when I went out to get my cat. There is no safety barricade around the work AT ALL. Happily, I wasn't hurt (beyond my pride). I've since run an extension cord out to the work area with a shop light that I can turn on when I go out-- normally, the area has path lights but of course, those were removed along with everything else.

I am absolutely sick. I mean, it wasn't like these plants were blocking the gas meter from normal access or anything. I'm careful not t plant things in a manner that would block utility workers or create a safety hazard (no tall plantings near power lines; call before I dig, for instance). And STILL the utility guys "had" to destroy all my hard work, and create a serious safety hazard to boot.

Believe me-- there WILL be some very salty words launched their way, and I AM going to request (no, DEMAND) that every single speck of damaged landscaping be paid for and/or replaced. I also plan to file an OSHA grievance or something considering the unbarricaded hole where I fell.

I am the ONLY one in the entire neighborhood thus far who has had such heavy losses, and I'm livid. Maybe I'm overdoing it-- but I have worked very hard, too hard, to just lose everything. The extent of the work was misrepresented, I'm not the only neighbor who feels this way, and every neighbor who has seen the damage that was done here is very upset about it (and worried that they'll be next).

Sorry to sound like a whining brat, but this really upset me. Between both of us losing our jobs this past year (though I'm back working again part time-- prefer full time, but hey, I'll take what I can get. Hubby's having a harder time thanks to a one-year "noncompete clause" that got foisted on him at layoff time... 24 years for nothing, thank you), the loss of my mother-- in whose memory I even planted hydrangeas, and now this... yeah, I'm a little touchy.

Okay, rant over. Does anyone else have any other ideas on how I can better this? At least now I have some deep, rock-free holes for adding good soil. Plants? errr... a little gunshy.

What rocks look good against a gray house? *tongue firmly in cheek*

I don't know if it is too late or not, but I would get big (shrub size) pots and pot up the plants as if you were going to keep them there for the season (not just covering the rootball). Shade, and water. It is possible they won't make it no matter what you do because they may not have taken enough roots or may have man handled them too much. You aren't too upset, I would be upset as well.

Get photos and date them if possible. Work in progress, additional damage. Do you have any photos of the bushes and vines BEFORE removal? Get your complaints on file NOW. OSHA can't do things without evidence, needs to come to the site to assess things when men are working, so NOW when barriers are not in place is best.

Sorry, the longer you wait, the less likely you are to get satisfaction. Get that Supervisors name, phone number. Keep track of them for further contact. Maybe get HIS supervisor involved in this difficulty. Are other neighbors yet to be involved? Or won't they be affected at all because the center of work is your yard? Sounds like the scope of job is getting very big.

I really feel for you, right of ways are difficult when you have worked to make your plantings nice.