Moving house...and garden!

[sand]

Fingers and everything else crossed - we should be moving house sometime next month (2 months after we thought we would have been).  Not really worried about the packing etc indoors, that will get done somehow, but the garden is really stressing me out. 

We want to split quite a lot of perennials and lift a couple of shrubs and roses, we thought it would be ideal moving in March so they could go straight in as they came into growth.  I delayed lifting until we had a date so now we have a garden full of plants going like the clappers.

Our current garden is only 2 years old and started from scratch so we have put a lot of work into it in such a short time and have a lot of plants that came with us before which have sentimental value, it would be heartbreaking to leave everything behind.

We are champing at the bit as we are getting a big garden that we can give over half to fruit and veg, the only reason we are moving! 

Has anyone got any advice for us please?  We are in a real dilemma, should we start to lift and split now and keep everything in pots or leave it until the last minute, split and run, then put everything in asap ???

Help?

sand

[sand]

[Marianne]

Oh poor you, I would hate to be in your shoes ... ??? :(

I would acquire some large pots, enough to put in the whole of your perennials. 

Dig around and under the plants,  allowing for a lot of root space and lift and replant in these pots. 

Before lifting, water the plant very well and when you have transplanted, you will need to water again very well.

The plants may sulk for a while and maybe not even flower but at least, you can replant them and hope.  Good luck!!!
;) :D

[honeybee]

Oh it is a bit of a problem isnt it.

When my mum died, we had to sell her house, her garden meant everything to her and the thought of leaving some of her plants there, to me felt like leaving part of her soul, so i knew i had to dig a lot of them up and put them in my garden.

Most of the transfer was sucessful, i did it as early as  possible, it was at about this time of year, and i put them into pots until i felt able to put them into my garden, as at the time i was in no frame of mind to transfer from one garden directly to another.

Most of the plants are now more than happy, and i probably only lost about two of them so that system worked for me.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Palustris]

One note of caution, unless you specifically excluded anything in growing in the soil in the garden from the sale (I assume you have sold?) then you are not allowed to remove the whole plant as it in fact belongs to the purchaser once you have signed the contract.
That said, I would pot up bits of everything as soon as possible as it gives you time to look around in case you miss anything you want and on the day itself you will be BUSY.

[lancelotment]

Sand, you have my sympathy!  Owing to school access, divorce and work, I've moved 3 times in the last 4 years.  It can really be a wrench to leave behind a garden that you have put time and effort in to but you still have time to prepare.  Split all the perennials you can and pot up/ replant the divisions.  Take things with you that you don't even think you might want.  When you get to your new garden the chances are you will find a home for them.  By splitting you are still leaving the plants that you have said you would but still have something to take with you.  Bulbs and tubers can be lifted with a good rootball and potted up in troughs and large pots.  Get cuttings if you can of EVERYTHING!!  My last move was at the end of last year (I completed on the sale on 24th December!!) and I had 47 pots, troughs, carrier bags and transplants to take with me.  In the hand-over documents that went to the purchaser, I had specified that I would be taking with me anything that was potted up.  Good luck.  Lance

[Muddy_Boots]

The obvious bit about, if you sell without specifying that you are going to remove plants from the garden.  You can make that a condition of contract but, please, if there is any resistance from the purchasers, let them have what they want.  Plants you can grow, a house sale doesn't grow on a tree!

That said, if you have agreed all that, pot up whatever you can.  No probs, they will grow again if you are gentle when you lift, give them a bit of feed in the pots.  The sooner you can do this the better.  The advantage is, they will be happy in the pots for as long as you need.  So, while you are settling into the house and getting all those things done that you didn't anticipate having to do, as long as you water well, your garden will have it's makings when you have time to do it.  I moved hebes, rhodies, clematis and all sorts of delicates with almost minimal attrician. 

Lancelot is right, you can move most things.  I am a great rearranger of my garden if things appear to be in the wrong place.  No patience!  I'm afraid I don't wait for the right time of year to move them, that is achieved in a morning!  Maybe 20 plants or so - very little loss!

Sort your plants now and then you can concentrate on what, at the time, will be the most important situation - moving your belongings and making a nest that you can relax in later, after the hard work!

Good luck and have fun - it should be fun, not hastle!   :D :o :D

[ellkebe]

And when it all seems a bit much, think about that new, bigger garden  :)

Ellkebe

[sand]

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom!  It's good to hear from folks who have also built an emotional attatchment to their plants.

Don't worry, the shrubs we are taking have been listed on the 'fixtures and fittings' list and all the perennials that I want to split and take a clump of weren't even up when the buyers saw the garden in early February!

I've taken cuttings galore from the larger plants and plan to start digging up and splitting tomorrow, seeing as the milkman has heard today that we are moving next week (news to me - and I'm not moving in with the milkman, just in case you get the wrong idea).  Just have to be extra vigilant with the watering can and try to find a decent trailer for the move, while the removal men sort the other trivia indoors.

This will be our fourth move in four years (it's a long story) and a few of the plants have been with us all along, so this time should be the last time - for a good while anyway ;)

I've always been too impatient to wait for the 'resting' period to move plants, always got a better idea!  So I suppose this is just a bit further.

I'll post later to keep you updated, thanks for your goodwishes and keep coming with the ideas for a smooth uprooting!

sand

[CotswoldLass]

Hi Sand,

Well, I took up a lot of time here on the boards at the start of March with the same problem. It's not easy. I only rented my previous house so maybe that was another problem. I'd completely recovered the 1/3 acre garden from wilderness, and a lot of the plants were gifts or sown from seed.

I only got a bit to take with me as unfortunately I was ill with flu during the move (very sad, as I'd hoped to sell some plants for local charity) , but as to perennials, they've all taken here well to the new garden, and also friends have some too. I still feel upset over the plants I couldn't bring, but I hope they will be OK.......

The ones that are here are fine, regardless of how long it took to find a home for them. Perennials are usually resilient, and I'm pleased to have some with me. My important group of 'red plants' - persicaria, heuchera, guara, and others are all in pots, as are some clems and my two fave lupins grown from seed.

I would say DO pot up what you know you need with you and take your time to decide.

All best, and best I can say is that, hard as it is (and it is), you'll find new inspiration .

CLX