HELP - Moving House and Garden in Winter?

Hi everyone

Very much a newbie here and I apologise if this is in the wrong section but I am about to move house (this weekend) and I want tot ake some of my favourite plants with me - they will need to go into container pots till the Spring - till we can assess the new garden and decide where everything will go..
My main worry is my Hosta - its quite large (sorry forget the variety unless anyone can oblige? http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/...hat-variety-hosta-i-have-can-anyone-help.html_ )

Anyway I would like to dig up and container this fella (obviously he has now died down for the winter) - possibly divide it - is this possible for the beginning of December??

I also have a mature Peony and Dicentra (both dormant too) I would like to move - the Peony I understand may need to go straight into the ground as I am aware they are notorious for not liking movement and a Hydrangea I planted last year

The other plants and shrubs are so mature I am guessing the will be virtually impossible to move ie: 2 x mature honeysuckles and a winter Jasmine - and some Hot Rod

Any advice on whether any may or may not move successfully and how to move will be very gratefully received

Thank you
Divina x

 

Hi Divina, welcome to the site..:thumb:

There's no time like the present for moving perennials and shrubs, perennials are easily lifted and moved either into pots or as you or straight into the ground, they can also be divided at the same time if required.

Shrubs, obviously depends on the size, but something that's only been in the ground for a couple of years should be moveable, even if the soil falls from the roots (although its best to try and keep some) don't worry too much, as long as they're kept damp and not exposed to the wind they'll be fine. We're in 'bare root' season now anyway, so numerous trees and shrubs can be bought bare root now.

If you have a larger mature shrub that you really like its still worth a go, try and dig up as many roots as possible, especially the fine fiborous ones and prune the top growth back a bit. Once replanted dig in plenty of organic material, water and feed well (feed in the spring). Have a look at these links;

How to move a mature shrub

Tree and shrubs: moving plants / Royal Horticultural Society

Hope this helps a bit :thumb:

 

Have you got a friendor relative with a bit of open space in their garden- a veg plot which has been harvested, for example, or an allotment? I'd be inclined to dig stuff up and bed it down in a spare bit of ground so that you can do something with it in spring when you have more time and the weather is better.

 

Alas most of my friends/family are not garden people so tend to (SHOCK/HORROR) slab or concrete their gardens :(
So I am alone in my madness for greenery and bloom - but this weekend is PM-Day (Plant Moving Day LOL) - so here goes and hope they survive

 

dont worry! i moved 50-60 plants for my garden all the way to france in a ivor horse box trailor, and kept them going in pots for 4-5 months, inc 2 peoney-they have taken and doing well, digging up this time of year is best, the dicentra will be ok- i dug a large clump of that and it came along, hellbores,roses,4 2-3yre old small shrubs, hostas also, you could divide now, i generally dont as i like the clump big.
i lost 3 or 4 but not many. I had alot of lillys which i grow some in pots, now thinking i will put some in the boarder.It gets very hot here so most in part shade, i have now found a place for the hostas but took a while to sort- first find out where the sun comes up am and sets pm, and also the sun is a lot lower in winter so worth bearing in mind but sure u know all this.
the 4 heucrua i took have dome really well, must have got the spot bang on.
salvias the small shrub one, do fab here, took a couple of those from uk, a tree fern came,and also brought the house plants, and some were big!!
good luck

 

The honeysuckle and the jazmine will be easy enough. Just cut them right back to about a foot from the ground, then dig them up taking as much of the root as you can.

It might take them all of the coming year to settle back in, but they will do, and with hardly any top side to maintain, there will be little burden on the inevitably damaged roots.

 

Good luck with the move