Moving potted plants to a previously neglected garden

Hi, I am relatively new to gardening, and about to move from a small garden with many pots to a large garden that has not been tended for many, many years. I want to move some of my potted shrubs into the garden, after I have cleared out old overgrown plants. I had planned to dig over, remove what I don't want; add some mulch and new compost and some of my shrubs from pots - is there anything else I should be doing? does that sound about right? Thanks!

 

It does sound about right.

Till I took ownership of my current garden, I just had containers and I brought them along here. Some were pretty big, so I had some raised beds built to accommodate their depth. All of them established fine, though watering frequently through the first summer is vital, till they can spread out their roots.

 

Thank- you! Feel like there is so much to do, just trying to approach things in bite sizes!

 

Sounds right to me too.

It can be easier with a big garden to deal with one area at a time so as not to overface yourself. Start near the house, then choose the next bit. Looking at it as a whole and trying to deal with it all at once can be overwhelming. Though if you like to make plans you can plan it all if you like, just pace yourself with the work.

 

When I moved house along with a huge number of potted plants, into an unkempt garden I laid weed matting down and stood the pots on that until I knew where I wanted to planted anything.

 

My only additional comment would be to make sure the conditions are right for your shrubs. Sunny, shady etc.
Goldenlily's idea of leaving the pots in situ for a while is a good one, that way you can be absolutely sure that you're happy with the positioning.
Here speaks a woman who is forever moving things .

 

You remind me of my father in law who used to go home for lunch each day. Whilst Mum finished getting their lunch he would go in the garden and as he used to say, "Have a tiddle for 5 minutes." The same again in the evening.
Those poor plants. I am sure they used to put up their hands and ask permission to grow. If not, it would be "Off with their heads!" with his beloved hoe. The one thing I noticed was, despite an immaculate garden, they never looked robust.

 

I think the idea is good in general with adding new compost. But first need to understand what's the soil in your new garden. When I moved in I hurried to start planting. Now I would've first added a few m3 of good compost/soil,because I've got heavy clay there.
If you have camelias, blueberries, other acidic loving plants, then ericaceous compost is needed.