Well that sucks. Is this the kind of thing where you could just go talk to the actual workers and reach some sort of understanding? Most of the time the actual workers are 'real people' and respond well to regular conversation and will try to prevent screwing you over.

Oh thats terrible! Some additional contacts you may consider:
Local boy scout troop
Local gardening club
Your church's men's group or youth group

Consider also whether its worth the expense to contact a local landscape company to see if they will dig and store for the time that the gas company is digging around back there. Its my impression that you will get your garden "space" back, they just will need to dig around for 4-6 weeks.

OMG! That's horrible. Please tell me you have another spot that will work for your garden. I know it'd be hard work, but if you can, go around with your story to all your neighbors and beg for their help to save what you can. I'm sure 80% will do it on the story alone and the other 20% will do it for a cut of your veggies... hehe, the 80/20 rule works everywhere! Get out there and save your garden! If I lived close I'd be there tomorrow!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

Hi fespo,

I feel your pain. I've got one Summer left and than my landlady is selling the house so goodbye garden. I've resolved to start anew where ever I go even if it's in containers or just indoors. Good luck fespo.

Best bet is to establish good relations with the equipment operators when they get there. Make it clear how much you depend on the garden to eat. If you get the plants moved first they will more than likely scoop up the topsoil with the equipment and set it aside and then drop it back. On the bright side you may have a better garden in future years from the aerating of the subsoil.

sad to hear fespo,

with leasing or using others land i guess they can always at some time call in the bets, pity they couldn't have given you more notice, you could have planned your plantings and had more time to transplant the vines and trees if that is possible?

anyhow are there any gardening clubs in your area? try pensioner groups put a notice in the local paper or on the local community board.

and once over the op' then look for other pastures so to speak.

we pray the op' goes well for you and hope you can get the help you need.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page

Wow sorry to hear about the bad news. I work in the utilities field, and have run across this problem before myself, ie gardens planted or extensive landscaping in our easements. It sounds like they are going to be replacing their gas lines. So the not so bad news is that unless there is some homeland security issue you'll be able to have your garden again after the work is done! Also as someone mentioned, if you politley and reasonably explain your situation to the crew doing the work, we will usually go out of our way to help you out...scraping your good garden soil up and off to the side out of our way, and then putting it back in place when we're done. Also while the situation does stink bear in mind that the crew doing the work is just a group of normal folks trying to make a living, and they had nothing to do with the situation. One other piece of advice, call the gas company and speak to them preferably whatever crew supervisor is doing the work(get a name first and last of the person you s/w) you may not have to move your whole garden...gas easements are huge...but if the main isn't deep they may only need you to move what you have thats within 5-10 feet of the pipe.
My crew has worked many an hour of overtime, putting back someone's garden all because that person politely asked if we could help them out.

Hello thanks for the support. I going to try my best to save my garden. You bet Im going have coffee, pop, doughts and maybe even lunch for these workers. take a look at the pictures, the grass strip is where the gas main is. thanks again everyone.

http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn202/fespo/Garden%20pics%20before%20big%20dig/

Very Welcome...I'm sure with all that the crew will definetely go out of their way to help you out. Also remember call the gas company and see if you can talk to the supervisor of the crew doing the work to see just how much room they'll need...Keep ya from having to relocate some stuff maybe!!!

BG

Oh, I'm sick for you! That looks like a lovely garden.

If it were me, I'd go ahead and move what I could onto my property. Then when the work was done, plant things that were easy to plant, look at and not worry about if the gas company says to move it.

Don't give up! Maybe this will allow you something better than you could have imagined!

What will the gas company do with stuff you aren't able to move? Just all the paver stones and timbers look like too much to move in a week!

Well I called the gas company todayand there digging on the other end from far away!!! :) YES IAM SAVED.Trucks will be running through grass part, no big deal there. They sent out the letter because of big corp. ways. Just to cover there butts. BUT NO DIGGING BY ME, Im so happy. See Ya everyone and thanks again!!!

tha tis good to hear!

but you may want to consider movign some of it off their easement so that next time(and it will eventually happen) you ar enot forced to lose everything. my grandfather used to plant his garden inthe easement onthe back of their property. telco and power companies were good abotu doing all tehy could not to deisturb it, but the cable company would tear the garden up every time! at that time the teclo and power boys would climb the poles or at least a ladder, but cable used a bucket truck every time. now they all use a bucket truck if at all possible.

lucky for me there is only 1 strip along my front yard that has underground utilities, and my power pole is in the middle of my 4 acres then goes underground to my house and ONLY my house. so if they have to do anything in my yard it because i need it, not anyone else. my gardens are well away from any of the utilities.

Phew! That was a close one!