We busted a phone line once. There was no charge, but the guy said if he had to come out again he'd be forced to charge us. Needless to say we always put in a ticket to get stuff marked now. I've had my new yard marked 3 times for different projects in the 8 months we've lived here. I think they're pretty careful about it around here. There are even commercials on TV about it.

I have been a big advocate of "call before you dig." That is such a great service and if they mark it wrong and you cut a cable, then you are not held responsible and besides, it's free, so why are people not using it more often? I don't understand. My neighbors just dig willy nilly without regard to cables and once (years ago) one cut the phone lines and cut off the phone of an ER doctor who was on call.

Sorry you're having to deal with the cut cable, Sherry. Hopefully they'll get it fixed quickly.
I have a gas line that runs on one side of my front yard and that really scares me. I stay clear of that area ... no rose digging there!

By the way, what are those little roses in the first picture? Are they miniatures or polyantha's?

Randy

Ha! Randy, those little roses are (top) Hermosa, (mid left) Cramoisi Superieur, and (mid right) Purpurea - all in their 2nd spring. I fervently hope that they stay fairly little, but they probably won't.

Teeandcee and Patricia, I've seen the commercials, too, but I never think to call. Thinking isn't my long suit. Hopefully, next time I'll think of it.

Sherry

Once I cut the underground sprinkler line, a couple of weeks after laying it, in the same spot where I remarked to my wife that I would need to remember not to dig through it.

When I dug the new rose garden in front of our new house, I knew roughly where the water main was. So I gently dug down to find it and followed it from one side to the other. After that I broke up the hard, red clay with a mattock. Being greedy, I wanted to loosen the dirt right up to the water main. I took aim about a foot away from the main. When I tried to pry the dirt up a large area moved. I thought, what a large rock. I took another shot further down -- same thing. I repeated this, trying to find the end of the rock so I could dig it out. Suddenly it occurred to me: another water main! It turns out I had found the old water main and a new one had been laid alongside it (it's a 50-year-old house). I had come within an inch of severing it.

This time I covered it pieces of old concrete block and concrete that had been dumped in the back corner of the lot and put about a foot of dirt over it. We grow herbs in that part of the garden, and so far it has performed well.

Lol Sherry!
I did that to our cable line about 5 years ago. Couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with out cable! We had underground utilities at the time, our house was set way back from the road....I just thought I KNEW where the cable line was! That shovel cut right through it!
The cable guy came right out, laughed when I told him I cut it while digging a rose hole. Thankfully didn't charge me just told me to be careful with that sharp shovel!

I now have lines overhead. No more underground for me!

Deb

Lol. Be glad that wasn't water line. I nearly severed water line one time. It was very shallow... Maybe only 6-8 inches deep! They always put cable or water line in the worst possible spots...

I've felt kind of bad calling them three times already but figure they'd rather mark lines than fix them.

Speaking of stuff in odd places, while landscaping my front foundation I discovered a big, old hunk of capped PVC right where I wanted to dig. It has something to do with the sewer. So, instead of putting in three large barberries I'm having to buy tiny barberry sticks so I can dig tiny holes.

You know, I hope they never have to get into that thing. Those barberries aren't nice.

I like the big circle shape you have there in your yard. It looks cool!

Thank you, hoovb. I had to get rid of the grass - maintenance was too hard that aggressive St Augustine. It looks better now with the gravel, I think, more like the garden medallions I've seen. I'm just thinking that the graveled part is a little too big, but I REALLY don't want to do anymore digging in the front yard or move the brick border AGAIN. What is is.

DH just talked to the cable company. The new cable won't be laid until April 16th! So the gravel area will stay unfinished for a while. Here's a view from the street.

{{gwi:255863}}

I figure now I can plant companions that can overlap on the gravel for more of a cottage garden look.

Sherry

Sherry,

Be glad it's only st augustine that you had to remove. Bermuda grass is much worse. Takes a nuclear weapon to kill bermuda completely...

I'm interested to see how that turns out by fall! I just finished prepping 10x10' rose bed but i haven't planted yet. Too windy and too exposed right now. I had to haul off 4 wheelbarrows of limestone rocks. My house sits on top of limestone rubbles... My back hurts when I think about having to do 2 more rose beds...

Why don't you put some soil on the roses, and scoop it out when the guy comes.

Flags are great, but did you know that they do not flag the water lines and the sewer? We used an auger a few months ago, and found the sewer. Fortunately they could patch it.

I think your bed is very pretty, and I love the stones.

Sammy

Lou, I'm glad, too, and I've got bermuda coming under my stockade fence from the neighbor's yard. Have to deal with that REAL quick. My back and your back should go to some nice spa together.

Sammy, I thought of filling the trench a little but my body was too beat to do another thing. The wet towel is still there. I guess since it's going to be a while I could put the soil in on top of the weed cloth. Do you think the roots will mind that. Good thinking, Sammy.

Sherry

You know I called before I dug through my yard. Since my house was the last one built in the subdivision I have no less than 5 houses cable lines running through my yard. I even took pictures of where the cable guy marked. Guess what? He was kinda within 10 feet of where the lines were running. Kinda. Do you know how much San Antonians love their Spurs? I severed my neighbor's cable line in the middle of a playoff game. Yup, nothing quite like your neighbor yelling "Are you guys digging over there?" right after you plunged that shovel down.
The good news is that he knew the companies lie. When they had their pool put in the gas lines were marked in the easement. Turns out they actually run through the middle of his yard. The back hoe ripped right into the gas line, totally severed it. Gas company wouldn't even come out for 3 days. Now all we hit normally is our sprinkler system. We are now masters at repairing it, no way I'd pay a company to come out and fix something as simple as pvc pipe and I put wood planks down on top of the areas I repair before refilling in with dirt.