Sally, This was the first time for me and landscaper workers. It was teeming down rain.I walked the gardens with them and showed them what not to cut.
In the shade garden I showed them the OP's and said not these, also some small shrubs which they left alone. The cut the OP winter crownes in another garden plus ALL heucheras were levelled.
I had no idea they couldn't recognise perennials of any sort plus sheer them off in other gardens. It never occurred to me they needed to be led around all the gardens and told every single thing.
I realized later they were laborers and probably were used to cleaning offices and other formal landscapes that only contained daylilies and those sort of filler plants.
Believe me I am more careful now . The woman who is doing my garden this spring is a scientist and plant lover,she brings her own help but they dont get into the gardens.
I got over the angst and shock the next spring when ,as Pirl said , "don't worry everything will come up again " she was right.
