I'm not surprised you felt deflated by the joiner's comments. To me, it sounds as if you put a lot of thought into it.
My males seem to have a nibble of their weeds in their enclosures and don't bother about anything else planted. The females on the other hand are monsters and like to munch everything! I don't think my new female enclosure will get the chance to mature until the winter when it'll be left in peace for a few months.
I'm sure Tort Lodge and Gardens are lovingly tended, even if your tanks don't always treat it with gratitude.
