New gardener,am I being unreasonable?

No, not at all…….but they wouldn’t be coming back to do anything to my garden.

I don’t think you ABU at all. I wouldn’t want them back either, as it doesn’t sound as if they are doing a proper job. I know first cuts shouldn’t be cut too low, but you do at least need to be able to tell it has been cut.

Sack them.

You're the paying customer. If the job doesn't get done the way you asked for; sack them off and hire someone who will do it.

The pair seem to be taking advantage of you, they probably thought you were out for the day. Also very rude. How about going back to the first young man or did your DH have a thing against his because he was young and Scottish?

We’ve had a few gardeners over the past few years with mixed results. They don’t always do what you want, they do what they want. Some call themselves gardeners but seem unable to differentiate between flowers and weeds. Our current one is the best of a poor bunch but we still have to keep an eye on him. He’s good at cutting back shrubs, mowing, some weeding under guidance 😂 and will put bark down etc. plus he is reasonable. We had one before who turned up with his school age son who was on an inset day and charged us full hourly rate for him as well. We didn’t have them back.

He who pays the piper, calls the tune!

Anyone who complained of my husband's behaviour to me, got very short shrift, whether I agreed with them or not. I simply told them to take the matter up with him, as I was his wife, not his mother!

Suggest to your husband, that you, or preferably he, fires this useless and rude pair, and that if he really cannot stomach the first young man, that he finds a competent gardener. They do not grow on trees.

Failing a gardener who within reasonable limits does what you ask, not exactly as he pleases, you and your husband need to decide whether you can live with a "wild garden", can afford to spend money making it easier to maintain, (gravel, paving, raised beds, robot lawnmower) or can and will do the work yourselves.

Find someone else if your not happy!

The nationality of the first gardener is immaterial. You don't comment on the nationality of the two who replaced him? It doesn't sound like they are a good fit for you and possibly are scam artists.

Not worth losing sleep over - they didn’t do the job as you wanted so don’t have them back.
Hope you find someone better suited soon - try Age UK.

No, YANBU.
Tell them you don't require them to come again.

It's not easy to find gardeners, I hope you can find someone trustworthy and reliable.

If your husband wants to keep them I'd tell him what the father said!
How rude!

I’ve given them the boot. Politely. Which they weren’t. I liked the young Scot but he wanted to do too much. No problem with him being a Scot as DH is . I’m from the Shetlands so more Scandi. I seem to tha ve got another one who wants reliable regular work.

What’s being a Scot got to do with the price of bread ?
Don’t get it

Cowboys by the sound of it.

Adding a final note. I’ve just been sent their bill which asks for payment for four mowings plus extra for the” extra” mowing. I only know that they mowed the lawn twice and an extra as they called it. Also a list of abuse from the wife of the abusive man and presumably mother of the autistic son. But cheap at the price to get shut of them. I wonder how many 80 year olds they feel happy to abuse. I hope I’m the only one.

Don’t pay it. They sound horrendous. Only pay for what they did. Not their mistake.

You could ring 101 to report abusive behaviour and harassment of an elderly person.
They may have had other reports and even if they cannot take action on your behalf
it helps to build a picture.