Re-locating plants..... properly!!!

This is my second year of playing and after having won the war against the slugs now have lots of fairly good plants / flowers of varying heights. The problem I now have is that some larger ones at the front of the bed hide the ones that are smaller at the back so I wanna have a move around. How do i do this successfully? I know that disturbing the plant too much will kill it and have been told by other amateurs that I should wait til winter to do any relocating. What is the truth? I'm sure it would help immensly if I knew what I had in there in the first place.!!!!

I'll try and get some photos up here soon

 

No matter what they are, wait until the dormant season before moving anything.:gnthb:

 

I take it that the dormant season will change from plant to plant? Summer flowerers will have a dormant season in the winter etc

 

Paterson, if you are unsure as to what you have in the garden, post some pics and hopefully people here will identify them for you.

As to moving plants, most herbacious perennials can be moved either in early spring for autumn flowering, or autumn for spring flowering types. They can also be split up at the same time so that you get more of them.

Young shrubs can be moved during autumn for evergreens, and winter for deciduous once the leaves have fallen.

 

Hi, sorry to butt in. Hardy Geraniums, would it be better to divide and transfer them in autumn or in early spring, when they show the first signs of life? I have 2 types, 1 blue evergreen and 1 pink deciduous. Ie, in the beginning or the end of the dormant season?
Thanks!