I understand about underground cables. One time a few years ago, I got a large crabapple tree, so, what else do you do on a Friday night? Dig a massive hole in your yard! Accidentally cut the Comcast cable. It was buried only like 2-3" deep! I know where it runs now, so I'm VERY careful where I dig & how I dig, especially if I get close to the house. You can always call those numbers to get the lines staked out in your yard. It should be a free service, you just have to get in touch with your providers (electric/phone/gas) to get that done.
Seeing that you're zone 8, how about planters / aboveground beds? Can you do those?
