Moving Gardens when you Move Home

Moving gardens when you move home – this article is here to help you when you’re a gardener and you’re moving from your established garden to a new one (which probably has a house attached to it for you to actually live in rather than camping out in the greenhouse or garden shed). We look at the things you need to know before you start digging up that Wisteria. Plus tips and ideas for caring for the plants in their pots and temporary homes for what might be 3 months but could be up to two years.

Factors which may affect which plants you can take with you

I’ve said ‘may affect’ as its generally worth trying regardless when it’s a plant that is important to you.

Timings

Generally speaking, the longer the lead time between deciding to move and actually moving, the better. However, we’re talking about living plants, so the time of year can be critical in how much time is needed. In an ideal world, you’d have 12 – 18 months to give you full run of the seasons for prepping plants before taking cuttings and digging them up. Life is rarely that easy…

Where are you going?

This will affect how long plants will have to stay in pots. And what sort of pots or containers you need. For example –

Into temporary rented accommodation or straight to the new garden?
How ready is the new garden for your plants?
Is the climate / aspect / soil similar to your existing garden?
Will you still have a greenhouse / potting shed / garden store? Are they larger or smaller and ready to use?

Moving Gardens when you Move Home – Legal Stuff

You know that beautiful garden filled with fruit and flowers that took you years to create? The likelihood is that it was a large part of who wanted to buy your house. If they arrive on moving day to find a wasteland they will not be pleased. And more to the point you could be sued for removing items (plants, statues) that formed part of the sale contract between you.

This is because the plants, statues, birdbath, etc are classed as fixtures and fittings.

However, just as you can specify which items inside the house are not included in the sale, so to can you list the plants and garden items which you’re taking with you.

This is usually part of the fixtures and fitting list that you fill out. It can be provided as a separate attached list which will probably be easier. It is best to speak with your solicitor first and clarify how much detail they want. For example, the same 6 plants could be referred to as: –

herbaceous perennials
hardy Geraniums
herbaceous perennials including hardy Geraniums
named Geranium cultivars

This latter is highly unlikely! But depending on how long your overall list is may affect how much detail they require.

NB this list refers to a whole plant which you have dug up and removed from the garden. Dividing a plant and taking a piece does not need to be listed as you’re still leaving (most of) a plant there.

Not only but also…

Although estate agent particulars are not legally binding, its only sensible to let the agent know if you are taking anything major – like the greenhouse, for example. After all, they’re working to sell the property for you.

Gardeners Moving Tip

1] I recommend you list as being taken plants you’re not sure whether you want to take. You won’t be in breach of contract for leaving a few extras.

2] If your list is long, you could provide a further list of plants that you’re leaving. This prevents the buyer’s solicitor from having a wobbly because your taking list looks like you’re clearing the garden!

My original take list ran into about 8 double sided A4 pages and I was sure I’d forgotten something. The leave list was about 6 pages. Cue my solicitor suggesting that perhaps I could amalgamate some items…?

Apart from not listing them, I can think of a couple of reasons why you can’t take your plants with you. The first is restrictions on moving plants from one country to the next. The second is the maturity of the plant. I left an established Wisteria, present from a client about 15 years ago, as I decided it wasn’t worth the risk of potentially killing it if moved.

Moving Gardens when you Move Home – Planning

As soon as you start to think about moving house is the time to walk around your garden to decide which plants you will want to take with you regardless of the soil, size of garden, aspect and so on of the new place. (You may already have an idea of the location you’re moving to) *Make a list as you go round*

This is one of the times when you’ll be glad you took monthly photos of your garden as it will help you with your decision making. For example, if you decide in January that you’ll move, the snowdrops and winter flowering honeysuckle will be visible, but the Heleniums won’t be. *Add out of season plants to the list*

NB the list can be edited, this is to get you started.

Next grab a coffee and make categories for the listed plants. One lot is for the type of plant, the other for how you will take it. (There’s a reason for this, bear with me)

Try these suggestions and amend to suit your needs. You may prefer pen and paper or a spreadsheet.

Type of plant

Potted plants, all types of – with few exceptions (eg very large pots requiring a fork lift truck) these do not need to be specified as a fixture & fitting

The following are all growing in the soil

Small fruit trees and bushes
Soft fruit
Perennial fruit and vegetables
Ornamental small trees and bushes – deciduous, evergreen
Small perennials
Herbaceous perennials
Bulbs
Biennials
Annuals

Method for relocation

Potted plants – as they are. Although you may like to move some from clay pots to plastic so they’re not so heavy. You can always pop the plastic pot back into the clay for a prettier look.

Plants growing in the ground –

Dig up whole plant – 1] perennials – preferably during plants’ dormant phase as a root-ball plant or to pot up temporarily. 2] biennials – as the first-year basal clump / small plant is easiest
Divide plant to take a piece, potted up
Take cuttings
Collect seeds
Propagate by other methods, for example, layering, bud grafting

Gardeners Moving Tip

Consider whether the plant will be okay in a pot or whether you need to find spare ground in friends’ gardens or your allotment for it. Medium sized shrubs and fruit trees are often happier in the ground. At time of writing, I have a mini orchard in a friend’s garden, which I’ll dig up this winter. (Well, hopefully I will have been able to prepare a space for them by then!)

Other Important Gardening Stuff

Of course, moving gardens when you move home is also about non-plant items. For example –

Water butts
Compost bins
Sundial that was your 25^th wedding anniversary present
Seats
Stone sinks and very large pots
Greenhouse

Yup, greenhouse and even shed and summerhouse, although for gardeners it’s usually the greenhouse that’s most important. Especially if there’s not one where you’re going. As mine was a birthday present, I wanted to keep it. We took down the greenhouse and wrapped each piece carefully. I also took my fancy water butt. One of the stone sinks was cracked and might have broken en route, so I made a present of it to our buyers (and let them know why – they were pleased nonetheless as they were wanting to find some to buy!)

Moving Gardens when you Move Home – Removal Firms and Moving Day

Some removal firms are happy and used to moving plants in pots. But even they may balk when they see how many you have for them to move! If its reasonably convenient, asking friends and family to caretake plants for you is a good idea. And gives them a reason to come and visit you in the new place and be nosy.

Our removers transported the greenhouse, water butt, stone sinks, empty pots, metal trellis, garden furniture, etc. But no plants. That was my choice as I would have wanted them in a van by themselves, using Dutch trolleys and / or wrapped where necessary. Therefore, it was easier to do it myself.

Let’s presume that some of the plants are moving with you, possibly in your car and friends are bringing more, along with a cooked dinner, for the end of moving day. Organised people have a box with cleaning stuff, another with essentials such as tea and biscuits. Moving gardens when you move home means you also need an essential garden items box to carry with you. Suggestions for this include –

Watering can /s
Hose – remember the attachment you have may not fit the new tap, so don’t rely solely on this
Secateurs
Small loppers
Gloves
Twine
Small bag of potting compost
Trowel
Spade – I have a small one which is easy to transport
Plant list
Trug – which can be used to carry the above

When the removers are transporting your plants

2 – 3 weeks ahead of moving day trim back any branches and stems that are more likely to get damaged.

1 week before – allow the plants (soil) to dry. Obviously not to the extent that the plants die but reduce watering and avoid doing so 1 -2 days before moving. How easy this is will depend on the time of year but keeping the soil as dry as possible will keep the van interior dry.

NB the removers may refuse to transport wet pots as this will make the van interior wet for the next customer, never mind the potential damage to your furniture and belongings.

And on a related note, they are unlikely to transport petrol tools including mowers, possibly even if empty. They’ll discuss this when they look around to quote, but I’m flagging it up so you can make plans.

Moving Gardens when you Move Home

As many plant pots, troughs and containers are not often moved, damage may not be detected until moving day. The cracks in my stone sink weren’t fully visible until I’d emptied it of plants and soil. Removing plants and soil from larger pots relieves some of the pressure.

Alternative containers to reduce weight that you can move your plants in to in advance include –

plastic pots
empty potting compost bags with holes in the base
potato growing sacks
hessian sacks

Some temporary containers for moving day –

trugs
buckets
carrier bags, double layer
packing boxes (soil should be dry)

Moving Gardens when you Move Home – Arrival!

What do you do when the house is full of boxes, the removal firm have gone, and the takeaway is ordered?

Walk round your new garden of course!

Whether you have some, all or no plants with you at this stage, it doesn’t harm to orientate yourself with your new domain. Depending how long it is since you saw the garden there may be some pleasant- or unpleasant – surprises. Do your initial plans for where your plants are to go still seem feasible or do you need to amend them?

If your plants are with you, water them even if it’s raining as they were dried out for lighter weight removal. This is where you’re glad you kept certain items like watering cans with you.

You can start thinking about planting them in the ground tomorrow, its far more important than unpacking boxes of china…

And finally

Moving gardens when you move home – possibly the best case scenario is space in the borders where the previous owners have removed plants from. This could be the permanent spot for your plants or a holding bed.

Worst case scenario? A garden filled with weeds, overgrown shrubs and trees and not a patch of earth in sight. That was the sight that welcomed me, but it’s okay as I was kind of expecting that. If you weren’t expecting it, and hadn’t planned for it, don’t panic. There may be some help in the blog links below or get in touch.

As for my new garden and its renovation, that will be about three years of hard graft, and I’ll be keeping you posted. It was two years less a week from our first view to moving in – much, much longer and complicated than expected!

For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.