Can I dig near my house?

[OutComeTheWolves]

We've not long moved into a house with a lovey sized garden and I've got really in to having a potter in it on a weekend, however I am very much a novice and I'm still at the learning through my mistakes (& Googling) phase of becoming a competent gardener.

We have a patch of lawn that runs alongside our house that looks out of place that I would love to dig over and either turn to a flower bed or plant some blackberry bushes. However dh says this won't be possible because of 'wires and pipes' and the possibility that I'll hit some while I'm digging. I have no idea if this is true - do loads of wires and pipes run into houses under the ground? And if so is there a (cheap) device that can spot them?

Thanks in advance he's also not letting me plant an apple tree 'because of the roots' and wants to get rid of a gravel border. I fear I've accidentally married a gardening killjoy.

Wires and pipes won't be near the surface, they'll be much deeper down. You should still be able to plant flowers etc.

Loads of people have borders next to the house, if pipes and wires are just below the surface you have a problem! He is right about the tree though, they need to be several metres from the house (depending on eventual size) or it can affect the foundations.

Planting next to the house - fine and normal with plants that have shallow/light roots.

The tree - you should assess where it is going and think about maximum size - apple trees come on different root stocks. I wouldn't want a full size tree in the wrong spot.

Check with the parish council as it will probably be their responsibility

If you want a tree make sure you buy a tree that is grown on a dwarf root stock, one of the patio type ones. You can then get a plastic dust bin to sun in the ground and plant the tree in that to keep the size small and make sure you keep it pruned.

Sink into the ground.... not sun

@MyOtherProfile

Check with the parish council as it will probably be their responsibility

I think it is the op's garden so their own land.

I think it is the op's garden so their own land.

Really? I got the impression from the title and context that it was outside of their land. Who queries digging their own land? Odd.

No I maybe didn't explain myself well - it is my own land. The query was with it being so close to the house is there anything I need to do first to make sure I don't hit any wires or pipes. Thanks to the posters who clarified that they're buried much deeper than I'd need to dig.

Ah that makes more sense. Everything is definitely down deep.

@OutComeTheWolves I wouldn't plant a tree in a strip of land next to a house but flowers and shrubs absolutely fine.

Definitely deeper than you will be digging! You could always have a raised bed if that stops him worrying though?

If you have a raised bed there needs to be a gap between it and the house or it can cause damp problems.