Irrigation projects, even when the area is small, can be time consuming. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

A geyser can be refreshing when it’s 100-plus degrees out. But when that water is jutting into the air from the irrigation system, it is so not a welcome relief.

At least I knew how to turn the system off.

I am not a gardener. I am not into irrigation. But I am a homeowner, so it was my responsibility to figure it out. Oh, this damn adulting business is so tiring.

My sister, Pam, who is into gardening and irrigation helped fix the flaw. In the process she taught me a few things.

A little digging leads to better understanding of the irrigation system. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

But then it kept splitting from the blistering sun beating down on the black plastic tubing. Each time I could fix the problem on my own. Even so, I was skeptical of this line; so worried that when mom and I both were gone at the same time last summer we had neighbors on call to turn off the system in case water was shooting everywhere but on the flora.

I knew this spring I would be replacing the entire line to feel confident about taking off and wanting to not be wasteful with water.

I started digging. This was after getting the rock cleared out so I could see the dirt. This dirt. It’s hard to call it that. There are so many rocks. It’s so hard. It’s amazing anything grows in it.

I got to a point where I didn’t want to dig anymore. My sister said keep going, and that she would be coming to help. Phew. We found where the line tied into the main system. We saw how the PVC pipes went under the driveway.

A text to the former homeowner resulted in photos from when the system was first put in. Very educational and could be good to know in the future.

Water system working, with the larger rock marking where the dogwood will be planted in the fall. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

The folks at Ace (always knowledgeable workers there in every subject matter!) got us outfitted with what we needed to do the job. They knew we meant business when we walked in looking super grubby; my sister with her gardening knee pads still on. She did all the talking, explaining what we were doing.

Back at the house we put in the new line. But it was cold on this particular May day so we called it quits.

I waited until it warmed up to make the holes in the line in order to add the thinner tubing and nozzle. I’m sure these things all have more technical names, but that part of my education is still to come.

We had two sand bags that I used to fill in the hole and cover the line. Back went the rock.

Yes, the lines were tested multiple times before they got covered. Let’s hope there are no geysers in the yard ever again.