Oleanders pruned properly by yours truly

Same Oleanders pruned wrong by someone else

I've been pruning these Oleanders for several years.  This year, I wasn't available when the owner decided to have them pruned.  The person who they hired was asked to cut just a little bit off the top so it doesn't stick above the glass of the windows.  That person chose not to listen and did way too much.

Now, I will do my best to heal the Oleanders back up. It will take a long time.  Many species of shrubs wouldn't even recover from a severe cut like this. Oleanders are among the very few that can.   They will most likely start sprouting from the base before they begin to look like they used to be.  We will probably have to cover them with sheets on cold nights this winter to prevent frost damage. We may try planting Buffalograss underneath instead of Lantanas as the owner has now informed me that they don't want a lot of growth under the Oleanders.  Buffalograss will only get three inches tall or so out here.  

This is a good lesson to learn.  Be careful who you hire.  Make sure you find someone who actually knows what they are doing and will actually listen to you instead of doing whatever they usually do.