Problem Trashed Garden.

Universalpuzzle

Active Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
36
Location
Tasmania
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
I’m heartbroken.. I finally retired and arrived at my home in north tasmania that I had rented out and found it trashed. The wall garden had fruit trees in it.. out of 30 trees only three survived ..in think. basically all have been ringed and died! .. the raised beds are also trashed.. basically I am going to have to rip everything out and start again.. I actually cried!.
upload_2020-3-1_13-35-36.jpeg
 

AZ Orchard

Active Member
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Messages
94
Location
Arizona, USA
Climate
Arid, Desert, or Dry
I feel terrible - I would have cried too! I hope there are some plants that you can salvage and nurse back to health.
 

Universalpuzzle

Active Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
36
Location
Tasmania
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
No absolutely nothing salvageable.. she had horses, sheep and dogs in there! .. all without permission..which was made very clear! .. what you can’t see is that the walled garden backs on to a brand new American barn, built a year ago which her horses kicked!
 

DTK

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
332
Location
Brisbane (SW suburbs)
Climate
Sub-Tropical
I am so sorry that this has happened - I would be heartbroken as well...devastated in fact. We rented our very first house when we were posted away. We later learned that it had been trashed with roller door swinging off its track, evidence of fire in the kitchen (soot smudged over the walls) and evidence of a Marijuana "garden" that had been growing in one of the bedrooms. The good news is that after some hard work, it scrubbed up well...but that takes a while. All the very best, Dan
 

Universalpuzzle

Active Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
36
Location
Tasmania
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
I get you.. we also found four freezers with dead Roos that had turned into maggots.. the house was dirty and the grounds had old mattresses, wardrobes etc
 
  • Like
Reactions: DTK

Universalpuzzle

Active Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
36
Location
Tasmania
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Soooo my plan is to take a deep breath and get the trees dug out.. I’m going to replace them with espalier fruit trees..and rearrange the layout. .. out of tragedy comes new beginnings!..
 

DTK

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
332
Location
Brisbane (SW suburbs)
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Good approach. Sounds like you can step back and "see" how it will be when you have again put your personal stamp on it.
 

GKW

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Dec 22, 2019
Messages
317
Location
Sydney
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
I'm heart broken for you....and can emphasis post renting out our house years back for a few years to come back to ruined lawns and gardens.

Is there any potential for legal recourse against the renters or at minimum reporting them to some form of "blacklist" for tenants in Tas so to help someone else avoid this lot?
 

t4ms

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Nov 5, 2019
Messages
51
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
As a cat-owning, gardening-loving, renter this makes me cross too. This is why, as a cat owner, I have trouble finding somewhere to live.

Your property manager is to blame here. I have regular inspections and have an excellent relationship with the real estate company that I rent with (and have done with the three prior property managers I have had). They always get a freshly brewed coffee when they arrive to view my home :). My current property manager actually persuaded my current property owner to allow me to move in (no cats and, given how some pet owners behave, I completely understood). The owner now has a tenant who has fixed several minor issues and has improved the garden. My rental home looks better than when I moved in. And, it is cleaner.

On a positive note, what is done is done and cannot be undone. Onwards and upwards. Gardens bounce back quickly. Your trees will take longer to establish but they will get there in the end.
 

LisaN

Kalgoorlie West Aus
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2020
Messages
16
Location
Kalgoorlie
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Soooo my plan is to take a deep breath and get the trees dug out.. I’m going to replace them with espalier fruit trees..and rearrange the layout. .. out of tragedy comes new beginnings!..
My heart broke for you. There is nothing worse than having some one stay in your property and treat it like crap. I don't understand how they can have no pride or love for what was for a time, their home!!
You are right about new beginnings. Now you have a much larger area to plan and create with. I'm looking forward to hearing about your new gardens and hopefully about a little justice from the tenants!
 

Gerry C

Member
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
12
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Soooo my plan is to take a deep breath and get the trees dug out.. I’m going to replace them with espalier fruit trees..and rearrange the layout. .. out of tragedy comes new beginnings!..

Damn! Fruit trees take so long to establish too. I feel for you, but yep time for a new garden layout.
Keep growing!
 

ClissAT

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
1,842
Location
Pomona, Qld
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Sometimes a good hard pruning is the best thing for fruit trees.
As long as you have the trunk, you still have a fruit tree.
All commercial orchardists prune hard regularly.
Get someone in who knows what they are doing.
You are in Tassie, there are several people down there who do stints on TV garden and cooking shows who can be employed to prune your trees.
 

Gerry C

Member
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
12
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
"Sometimes a good hard pruning is the best thing for fruit trees.
As long as you have the trunk, you still have a fruit tree.
All commercial orchardists prune hard regularly.
Get someone in who knows what they are doing."

THIS!
I do garden maintenance and I see so many trees butchered by someone who thinks they know what they're doing.
If you do it yourself, watch a few videos first.
If you hire someone to do it, make sure they have the experience,
Don't let some guy with a saw go crazy on your fruit trees.

Good luck
 

DivingTemptress

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
176
Location
Nassau Bay, Texas USA
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Hi Universal,
My heart goes out to you
Over the years I have kept my temper much better than in my younger days, however people should have to pay a price when they destroy other's property. A very wise friend once told me that if it bothers you that much, it will probably bother you for years unless you at least try to recover some of the cost of the damage.
So, you might want to go to the authorities, consult an attorney to see what your options are. Or if you cannot find them, you might want to track them down through a veterinarian they must have a regular vet with horses sheep etc.

Good Luck and God Bless !
 

Mark Seaton

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Collie WA
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Soooo my plan is to take a deep breath and get the trees dug out.. I’m going to replace them with espalier fruit trees..and rearrange the layout. .. out of tragedy comes new beginnings!..
There you go... And you have plenty of material to start your huger culture raised vege beds ;)

I do feel for you though, as many others here, I too have been a victim of uncaring tenants... twice!
This last time there was, aside from the house trashed, all gardens dead and over 15 cubic meters of rubbish left. I ordered the first large skip bin and was told by the insurance, that that is not covered as that is not classed as malicious damage!?!?
It took a bit of work, but I have now got my 2 daughters living there, so I should be able to trust them :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: DTK

DTK

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
332
Location
Brisbane (SW suburbs)
Climate
Sub-Tropical
There you go... And you have plenty of material to start your huger culture raised vege beds ;)

I do feel for you though, as many others here, I too have been a victim of uncaring tenants... twice!
This last time there was, aside from the house trashed, all gardens dead and over 15 cubic meters of rubbish left. I ordered the first large skip bin and was told by the insurance, that that is not covered as that is not classed as malicious damage!?!?
It took a bit of work, but I have now got my 2 daughters living there, so I should be able to trust them :D

Hi Mark, I have two adult daughters and as I read your post I thought to myself "What could possibly go wrong with my kids living in my rental property?" Seriously though, I reckon you are on a winner.

Universalpuzzle, I am sure we would all love to see photos of your progress. Even though we are not close by to physically assist it seems you have the thoughts of the SSC community behind you!
 
Top Bottom