Privets chopped down - need help

I need advice about my privet bushes. They were about 10 years old, 12-15 feet high or so. My husband was supposed to trim them and, to my utter dismay, he chopped them down to stumps. Pictures attached. I am devastated. My backyard is ruined.

In between sobbing, I have to try to figure out what to do next. Will they grow back? How can they grow back into a decent shape when their central structure is now just a bunch of stumps? If they won't grow back, then I guess I will have to hire a stump removal service to get the stumps out so I can plant new ones.

Finally, does anyone know a good divorce lawyer? Kidding... sort of.

Thank you so much for any help.

I would be inclined to add a good mulch or several inches of compost around the root area after loosening some of the soil and giving this root area a good watering, adding the mulch will help retain the moisture at the roots, in about 5-6 weeks you should find little lumps like pimples on the trunks of the trees and this is new shoots beginning to emerge from the wood. Add a Handful of multipurpose plant food to the mulch as this will help boost the tree's into a spurt.
IF this does all happen, your privet is still alive and will look a bit silly for a couple of years but at the end of the day your husband (your ex, ha, ha, ha) will know the privet won and you helped save it, IF the trees cant be saved, I'd make the EX lick the dirt from the base of the plants, spit it into a pile and then chew the roots out, OK I've been watching too many cartoons with my Grandkids and lets be honest, is your husband worth going to prison for when he calls the cartoon cops for being cruel ha, ha, ha.
Seriously, this poor guy will probably not want to go outdoors again so be gentle, just hit him where it wont show.
Good luck, hope you can give the tree's a second life.
WeeNel.

If they are Chinese privet you should be happy. These things are very stubborn and invasive in the southern part of the US. Painting them with brush be gone will help to keep them from sprouting out.

Thanks for the advice, Weenel.

Eeew, JCalhoun... We have kudzu and don't need any other invasive plants. These are glossy privets, I think, and I haven't noticed them spreading at all beyond the couple I planted. I just bought them at Lowe's 10 years ago. Are they a problem, too?

Privets are pretty tough and vigorous, I suspect they'll bounce back just fine.

ecrane, every time I start to say something, you've already said it. Dang! :-) Usually the problem with privets is they get thin around the bottom with age. This should fix that right up!

No need to worry. Its common practice to chop privets low to encourage better growth. We've chopped privet hedges down to 6" tall and within 2 years they were back to normal hedge height.

Thanks, everyone!!!

Just NEVER let him prune without supervision again! My DH thought everything tall in the garden would be better after a drastic trimming. He did it so many times that the kids and I had a name for it. We would say that the bushes were "Melvyn-ized" again. Many tears later, I make sure that I'm outside with him if he has any sort of cutting tool in his hand. LOL

jmarzihu - please do not ever ask your husband to trim your hair!

The privets will bounce back though I can imagine your shock right now.

Oooooh! I'd be shocked at that sight too! Tell your hubby to keep his day job :-} But, as stated by others, privets are very hardy and they will be back.

If you planted 2 shrubs of privet 10 years ago and you still only have 2 , then they are definitely not the type that are invasive by any standards and privet like most other tree's shrubs or plants have many different types all in the same family but have different characters just like us people.
Hope you see the little green shoots real soon so you can relax a bit and go easy on your DH, ha, ha, ha, bet he still has that hang-dog look, poor man.
Best of luck. WeeNel.