If you're ever hiring out for landscaping, make sure you do your research or you might end up making the same mistake as one homeowner's mother-in-law.
In a post on r/arborists, a Redditor described a nightmare landscaping faux pas.
Before they left for a trip, their mother-in-law hired a handyman to take care of trimming their trees.
After returning home following 10 days away, they discovered their two-story evergreens weren't only trimmed — they were topped.
The post included two photos that revealed the severity of what the non-arborist inflicted.
"Is it like 50-50 or 100% chance they will die?" the OP asked, searching for any kind of advice on what to do next.
The post drew a lot of attention and often conflicting advice. However, the more qualified responses suggested that the trees will live, despite their new look.
"The trees will definitely survive this," one Redditor commented with confidence. "It'll look weird for at least several years and potentially forever."
"These are white cedar which can be pruned this way in order to maintain height and form. This isn't the cleanest job, but in no way does it necessitate removal," an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist advised.
🗣️ What's the worst thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 The time it takes ⏰
🔘 How noisy it is 🙉
🔘 It's too expensive 💸
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷🏾♀️
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Your trees will outlive your grandkids, even after being massacred," another wrote.
Installing and maintaining native trees and plants is a great way to ensure a healthy and thriving lawn. It will save you money on utility bills since native lawns require less water. They also use less fertilizer and pest control.
Native lawns provide fertilizing grounds for pollinators, which is instrumental to our food supply. According to the National Institutes of Health, animal-based pollination contributes to 30% of global food production, and bee-pollinated crops contribute to approximately one-third of the human dietary supply. It's un-bee-lievable.
If you're not ready for a complete upheaval, try rewilding a small part of your lawn to test things out and start reaping the benefits. Natural lawns come in all sorts of flavors — clover lawns, vegetable gardens, wildflowers, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping to name a few.
Find what works for you and your climate by checking out the National Audubon Society's Native Plants Database for information on which plants are native to your area.
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