Home Education

VA 811 Helps the Virginia Cooperative Extension to Garden Safely

Sponsored By: Virginia 811

May 12, 2021

As the weather is getting more beautiful by the day, and we want to get out and enjoy it! One of our favorite things to do is work on our gardens. And we’re not alone! But before you start digging, make sure to contact Virginia 811! Cyndi Wyskiewics from the VCE –Virginia Cooperative Extension– visits with Ashley and Patricia to share how they serve as an outreach arm bringing research based education to the public.

While community gardens are typically more food based, at the VCE office they focus more on educational gardening. This means that the gardens are open for visitors to enjoy while learning, from signage, what types of plants, how they grow and coexist.

Each year the interns of the VCE adopt a garden. This year, they have chosen a rain garden. A rain garden is planted in a natural or manmade depression which holds water until it evaporated.

The plants will absorb the collected water and use it to grow. These can be helpful in depressions near buildings as they absorb water which, if it continues to collect, can cause damage.

Before planting any of their gardens, the VCE makes sure to call Virginia 811. A quick phone call brings a technician to the property to mark the utility lines and ensure safe digging.

It’s important to realize that although you may not be a business, and are just looking to plant a home garden, digging in the wrong spot can lead to disaster. So, before you dig, make sure to contact Virginia 811!