Notify the utility that final grading is complete and they need to came back and reset the vault. They can tilt it so as to minimize runoff of topsoil. other than that no much but beware planting to near because if they need to access this in the future it could damage your plants.

HI -- Getting the city to help with this is not going to happen . Just get some Allen blocks and build a little retaining wall around it and then plant Daylilies (my fav - Stella D Oro ) or boxwood which you will have to trim all the time , or a ground cover or just sod . Back the concrete blocks with some landscape cloth to hold back the dirt .

HI -- I think that is a good idea chrisblouke but the city might not allow that being used as a sidewalk . It would be interesting to find out if that is possible . I think that is a good solution and easy too.

What a small world! I walked past your house last week and was wondering how you were going to deal with that. I like what the folks a street or two west of you did with the retaining wall. If you put some shrubs around it, that should conceal it fairly well. (Also, I love your metal tree.)

Thanks to all, my husband is inclined towards the retaining wall idea like the people one block over did. Serradee, say hello if you see me there!

You can buy big hollow fake rocks but they might not allow that. These things come in lots of heights and sizes.

Seems like sod planted would be enough to keep the dirt in place.

Here is one solution w sloping manholes on the driveway. Use planters on top of them but make them light so you can remove them when needed. Here is a little bench over the manhole that the kids can sit when playing outside and the planter with the gravel is over another one that slopes more than the first one. The gravel around masks the sloping while the combination of planters draw the eye to it. The planters are home made and an easy diy project.

In the event you put a retaining wall up; perhaps you would also be allowed to place potted plants/flowers on the slab to camouflage it but could be readily removed if required. That said, as not much of a gardener myself, I would be tempted to invest in an artificial shrub ... ☺ ... or a rock as 'leelee' above suggests.

Forgot to say. The planter with gravel is very shallow so the planter is still light and easy to remove. Beauty w planters is that when y get tired of a certain configuration y can move them wherever y fell like. Don't know if this is an approved solution in your location.

irennet, I love your solution, it's lower in cost than the retaining wall my husband favours and adds some interest to the corner. off to look for some lightweight planters like those.

I love the idea of the steps and the planters. Either one would make this a feature instead of a problem. You can also put Styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of pots/planters to lighten the dirt load.

I can't believe we've come to this...from overhead (ugly by any standards) power lines, to underground (with surface mounted transformers), to this (underground transformers with nothing but an access cover showing). I'd say leave it alone and plant something vertical close to it, and consider the access to be a giant stepping stone, or something like that. Another thing, be grateful you have one of the most modern power delivery systems on the planet.

I would pile/arrange some small boulders and/ or flat stones (flagstone?) (nothing I couldn't lift) into the area and extend it a bit and then plant rock garden type plants and flowers. The stones could be moved if access was needed. Creating areas that are not flat adds interest to the yard.

Can you just place a nice designed bench there ? Easy to move when access is needed.

put a bench over it, make a little seating garden area.

tall wispy grasses, succulents, lavender, hosta. Japanese maples, bench field stone, and some solar lights

That looks lovely flair lighting, thanks!

Without digging too deep -- one brick thick deep below the surface all the round the slab -- draw a line around the slab outlining it with bricks (or paving stones), adding additional bricks atop that "wall" on three sides to build the wall up to approximately level with or barely above the height of the soil. Then, either...

Build a shallow wood planter box out of treated wood, either enclosing store bought rectangular planter(s) or lined with thick plastic sheeting, painted green to visually "disappear" or painted another color to suit your personal taste, preferably w/hidden wheels for mobility so as to not frustrate those accessing the utility (so they will be less likely to destroy your planter box), and plant therein a native ground cover or ivy and park it atop the slab. Or...

In the alternative, create a movable mini deck the same size of the slab -- think crate -- that can be put atop the slab and set a flower pot atop it.

HI -- I Love the idea of a gossip bench -- that would look very charming as long as it doesn't get stolen . Can't have anything nice these days it seems .

The bench is adorable! I sometimes feel that the more one tries to hide 'such things', the more attention is drawn to it. If I were not using the bench idea, I would sod around and go on about my business.

A friend told me about "quickcurb" or "kwikcurb" so I'm going to get an estimate for doing a quick curb border that curves around the slab, put sod on one side and put gravel or stones on the side of the slab in a colour that matches the slab to make it less visible.

Interesting product; I love it! I looked it up~~~~~~Kwik Kerb!!!!

I suggest you lease it out to neighbourhood kids as space for a lemonade stand. You could also rent it out to the PC party or the Alison Redford fan club for their next rally.

that's hilarious.

Here in Florida kwik curb is referred to simply as concrete curbing. Mine was not stamped with any design but was tinted and ran about $3.00 a linear foot.