Oh, lord. Pruning a hydrangea with a hedge trimmer?!?

Luis, I could give you an example of worse - it's been a couple of years and I still shudder thinking about it.

Neighbor of only a couple of years who had not shown much interest in the garden hired a mow and blow guy to ' late winter clean' a bed - happened to be one I had participated in designing and planting with the previous homeowner and I freely admit to feeling attached to it....

When he had finished with !power saw! and weedeater, hydrangeas, roses, tree peonies, ceanothus, assorted vines including evergreen billardiera, many perennials (all but rhododendrons, he did recognize those) - down to just inches. It's still trying to recover, and so am I.

Sometimes I think of hiring a service to help with the yard. Then I hear those stories and decide I can change my schedule around to allocate more time to the garden.

I would have to be present to teach those folks and I would not allow different employees to work on my yard until the have gone thru "my classes". Hee hee hee!

The worst part is that I suspect that many do it thinking it is ok... sigh....

I stand out there and watch the young man doing my yard like a hawk! I can kill my own plants without any help. Over pruned a Hydrangea once & lost it.:(

I do not need those guys to destroy my shrubs. I already have dogs that have destroyed several camellias and azaleas when trying to catch squirrels. The hydrangeas -knock on wood- have been lucky so far.

cyberyam, any chance your non-gardening lawn man will provide you with a new one if this one does not make it? WHen do hydrangeas normally leaf out over there?