A bit of advice needed

A few months back I got to grips cutting back and investigating a part of a border that has been neglected for goodness knows how many years. I've uncovered a David Austin Rose, Graham Thomas which I cut back hard and has sprouted and now about 4ft tall and right on top of it about 20 irises, they are about 4ft tall and starting to flower (yellow with a patterned tongue bit), though many look 'blind'.
The problem is the rose and irises have been planted right on top of each other and been planted in the wrong place (mid border and mostly shaded). I want to move them both.
Is it possible to dig up and move the rose without killing it off? It looks pretty mature and the stem at ground level is as big as my wrist with a number of very sturdy main branches which are now covered with soft shooting stems.
The irises I think will be safer to move from what I've read, though again they look like they've been there for years. I'm not an iris person so I'm not sure what variety they are or what growing conditions they need if I decide to keep them.

There are other plants to divide and replant which I'm confident with doing. Any advice appreciated especially on the rose.

Thanks.

 

Hi,
With regards to the rose, leave it in its place untill it's dropped it's leaves and is dormant in the winter. The irises, if they are blind, may be at the end of their life however should be easy enough to pull up and out around the roses root system...again though the best time for this is after they've flowered and are beginning to go dormant.

I'll do a bit more research into it and get back to you, but that's how I feel about from the top of my head.

Jack.

 

Fens I agree with Jack, the rose is best left now until later in the year. The irises may be starved in their present situation which is why they aren't blooming so moving them to another area may help. They will grow just about anywhere but prefer a sunny situation.

 

Thanks for that. The soil it is in is probably pure clay, so what are the chances of such a mature rose surviving a move like this?

 

Roses don't mind clay and I don't see why it shouldn't survive the move. Leave it until winter, prune it back and then move it. It will have a chance to get it's roots down before next spring. It would help to put rose feed in the hole of it's new position just to give it a boost.