Moving Plants: How to Move a Garden to a New Home

Packing as much as transfer to a brand new dwelling is rarely simple. Most individuals don’t speak concerning the problem and feelings of transferring an entire backyard! Be a part of me alone journey transferring my backyard of greater than ten years and all my ideas for transferring crops and packing up the yard.

After a decade in my dwelling, it’s time to say goodbye to my present backyard. Whereas I’ve moved homes and transplanted an entire backyard earlier than, this transfer is far harder for me. That is the primary backyard my kiddo has gotten to get pleasure from, and I’ve completely fallen in love with having a big backyard house.

I took this video of my backyard simply a few months earlier than I moved.

I didn’t plan on leaving this backyard. Typically life will get in the best way, and we’ve to make do with our circumstances. So, after ten years, I set forth on packing up the house and transferring crops to their new house.

I needed to undergo a number of grief on this course of. Many different gardeners have shared comparable tales about how powerful it was to say goodbye to their crops and the blissful house they’ve identified for years.

However at all times, the story ends with the enjoyment of a contemporary begin and a model new backyard.

Throughout my transfer, I documented every thing I did (and need I had performed) once I began transferring crops to the brand new dwelling. When it’s time to say goodbye to your individual backyard, hopefully, my expertise may also help make the method that a lot smoother for you.

This publish will cowl…

Do You Actually Want That Plant?

The primary time I moved my backyard, I had a very onerous time picturing leaving all my crops behind. I didn’t need to lose all of the onerous work of my first backyard! On my each day visits, my crops grew to become associates, and I assumed I might miss every one in every of them.

When it got here time for transplanting the backyard, I spent SO a lot time digging and dividing all of the perennials. I additionally took cuttings to make sure I had each final flower, tree, shrub, and herb that I might need for my new backyard. I potted up every thing into 15 and 10-gallon nursery pots.

In my eyes, I might transfer them over like I had simply bought them at a backyard centre, after which I might begin the brand new backyard. However that transfer took a whole transferring truck to execute. I child you not. It was very costly. In all probability dearer than if I simply went to the nursery and purchased the identical crops another time.

In fact, you possibly can’t put a value in your attachment to sure crops.

A Backyard Remedy reader shared her story with me about transferring her personal backyard. She had an amaryllis plant that was gifted to her by her brother-in-law greater than 50 years in the past. Between selecting between costly or sensible crops, she knew the amaryllis plant was an important plant to maneuver.

Attempt to set these boundaries when transferring crops to your new dwelling. Listed below are the crops you need to prioritize.

Transfer hard-to-find, uncommon crops.

Crops with sentimental worth.

A number of crops that make your backyard really feel like dwelling.

Plan for Shifting Crops Forward of Time

Once I started to plan the transfer from my present backyard, I had the entire above in thoughts. I might transfer with the intention that the crops had been meant to remain on the dwelling. Once I would transfer, I might say goodbye to them. The brand new backyard could be a contemporary begin.

For my transfer, I centered on the non-fixed areas of my backyard. Fairly than work on transplanting crops, I might give attention to my backyard pots. I ready weeks prematurely, considering by means of the pots that had been going to come back with me. I deliberate to solely preserve and journey with the crops that I knew I might have house for in my new backyard.

The backyard pots I didn’t need to deliver, I gave away to the Purchase Nothing teams on Fb or to family and friends. Say thanks to all of your crops as a pleasant goodbye for the enjoyment they introduced you in your previous dwelling.

Think about the Solar at Your New Dwelling

Apart from selecting the crops which might be essential to you, it’s essential to additionally think about which crops will really survive. I had just a few backyard pots reserved for crops in my backyard I wished to dig up, and I needed to realistically take into consideration what I might fill them with.

In my new backyard, the vast majority of the house is kind of shady. This meant I left behind all of the sun-loving crops. As a substitute, I centered on how I may divide a number of the ferns or take a number of the hostas that had been particular to me. Then, I imagined how I may create a bit of backyard out of these crops.

When transferring crops, additionally think about if the plant handles transplanting nicely. For instance, peonies don’t prefer to be moved. You possibly can rigorously take away the plant solely to have it die on the subsequent dwelling when it was beforehand flourishing.

Even if you happen to’re solely transferring a brief distance away, you might also need to think about your microclimate. As an example, some tall crops might not be capable of deal with a windy yard! Chances are you’ll even change zones completely, which presents its personal distinctive problem.

The way to Pack Crops for Shifting

When transplanting a backyard, you need to do it nicely earlier than the precise transfer date. I used to be so busy the previous few days earlier than transferring, and I used to be glad not to consider transferring a backyard within the midst of all of it.

I ready my pots by performing all divisions forward of time. For every one of many pots, I added further soil. I gave the crops a superb watering once I did the divisions from the unique crops and once I transplanted them.

The week earlier than the transfer, I lowered my watering. Most of my pots had been fairly giant, and I didn’t need to add further weight with water-saturated soil.

Over that week, my crops obtained fairly droopy and wilted because of the lack of water. Not sudden, it’s additionally not that massive of a deal. The crops will bounce again once they’re fortunately taken care of of their new house.

Wait till you’re at your new dwelling to scrub up any of the crops you introduced with you. As soon as the stress of transferring and a brand new dwelling has handed, you possibly can start to prune and clear them up.

As soon as your crops are prepared, there’s a lot extra work to do within the backyard earlier than transferring. Undergo your gardening instruments and select what you suppose you’ll want. Put aside something you may use within the first month to be simply accessible.

In any other case, pack up and clear any backyard instruments to allow them to be used down the street in your new dwelling. Declutter as you go, eradicating any instruments you don’t use. A superb rule of thumb is that if you happen to haven’t used it in a 12 months or extra, you most likely received’t use it within the subsequent 12 months.

Think about The Soil

When you can’t bag up the soil inside your backyard, don’t neglect to gather all the luggage of soil and soil amendments from round your backyard. I make all my very own soil mixes, so I pre-mixed all my soil recipes to make sure every thing was good to go forward of time for the brand new backyard.

Harvest Your Compost Bin

Relying in your compost bin, you may take it with you or go away it behind. Both approach, it would be best to give it a superb cleanout. Take any completed compost and blend it together with your potting mixes from above. When you have any leftovers, prime gown the backyard beds of your present dwelling to present them a lift for the brand new householders.

When you have a vermicomposting bin, now can also be a superb time to reap the worm castings. I sometimes do that each 3-4 months for my backyard. You’ll must cease feeding the worm for just a few weeks till the worms have eaten all of the kitchen scraps. You could find extra data on harvesting worm castings in my vermicomposting information.

Transplanting Rootbound Crops

When you might not take each potted plant with you, it would be best to give them a serving to hand earlier than transferring them. I used to be unhappy to go away behind the Japanese maple tree I’ve featured in lots of photographs and movies over the 12 months. However I made positive it was blissful in its pot earlier than I left!

Take any timber and crops which might be root sure and transplant them into bigger pots with new potting soil. I take advantage of the potting soil recipe from my guide, Backyard Alchemy, because it’s gentle and fluffy. It makes the crops blissful and in addition simpler to maneuver.

Clear Water Options

One other merchandise I couldn’t take with me was my wildlife pond featured in The Regenerative Backyard. A part of the undertaking requires you to construct up an entry level subsequent to the construction for the wildlife to achieve the pond. Since I didn’t need to utterly dismantle it, I made a decision to go away it behind.

I started working cleansing it utterly for the brand new house owners. Any ponds and water options ought to be cleaned out utterly. You are able to do this whether or not you’re transferring them or leaving them behind.

After cleansing, fill them with water if you happen to’re leaving them behind. Substitute any crops you could have determined to deliver with you so the wildlife can nonetheless get pleasure from them.

Pack Up Backyard Decor

We might by no means go away an image hanging on the wall, however oftentimes the out of doors décor will get forgotten while you transfer a backyard. Take down all of the backyard décor and wrap it up correctly to take to the brand new dwelling.

I packed all of the backyard artwork, wreaths, birdhouses, hanging fixtures, and lights in my transfer. As I write this, I’ve realized that I left behind my photo voltaic chandelier hanging within the backyard. Fortunately, it was simple to make (as you possibly can see from this publish). Maybe I’ll make a brand new one for the brand new backyard! Both approach, I hope the brand new of us get pleasure from it when it lights up at evening.

Dig Up Ollas

I take advantage of ollas in my backyard beds as a part of my regenerative backyard. I dig them up each fall, so that they don’t crack over the winter. Since I used to be transferring my backyard within the fall, the timing was excellent. However if you happen to’re transferring one other time of the 12 months, you’ll need to dig up your ollas, wrap them nicely, and take them with you.

It’s additionally essential to contemplate all of your present watering programs and whether or not or not you need to go away them behind. Wrap up your backyard hoses and possibly even pack up your drip irrigation system if you wish to deliver it with you.

Substitute Soil and Water

After digging, dividing, and transferring crops round, you need to clear the backyard. Substitute any soil and holes, add mulch again in place, and provides the backyard a very good watering.

The brand new householders may not have a lot time to are likely to the backyard once they first transfer in, so it’s a good suggestion to make sure the backyard has been watered earlier than you allow. This fashion, the backyard can survive by itself for per week or two whereas the brand new house owners get settled.

Harvest Your Bounty

Whereas figuring out within the backyard and making ready on your transfer, don’t neglect to choose and eat all of the fruit, greens, and herbs you’ve been planting. Imagine me, you’ll take into consideration all of the belongings you left to ripen and which you bought an opportunity to style after rising them for therefore many months.

As I’m penning this, I’m lacking the Candyland pink currant tomatoes I snacked on final week. I additionally want I had extra time to reap a few of my favorite herbs and flowers and dry them for my meals and sweetness recipes.

Go away Backyard Notes Behind

When you have the time, a stunning sentiment to do is to go away behind a handbook of kinds or ideas for taking good care of the backyard for the brand new house owners. Once you’ve put this a lot love and work into the backyard, you need to go away them with some sense of the varieties of crops and what to anticipate within the 12 months.

In fact, the brand new house owners will make it their very own and can certainly have loads of surprises alongside the best way. Hopefully good surprises!

One other Backyard Remedy reader instructed me her story about transferring into a house that already had a stupendous and well-loved backyard created by a gardener often called Beth. Fifteen years later, she nonetheless thinks of Beth when she walks by means of the backyard. She’ll benefit from the shade of a mature tree and thank Beth for the thoughtfulness of its placement. Your backyard can have a long-lasting impression on whoever is fortunate sufficient to name it theirs.

I used to be fortunate sufficient to have a whole guide written (The Regenerative Backyard) about my final backyard, and I may give the brand new house owners a signed copy. My regenerative backyard was a working and inventive house for me for over 10 years. In that point, it grew into its personal self-sustaining ecosystem. I hope the brand new house owners get as a lot enjoyment out of it as I do. And I hope they get pleasure from their copy of The Regenerative Backyard!

Grieve Your Backyard

Saying goodbye to a backyard is not any simple feat. Once you’ve spent so a few years turning it into what it’s and discovering pleasure within the time spent there, there can be many feelings in leaving a backyard behind.

Within the quieter moments of unpacking on the new home, the kiddo and I seemed by means of previous photographs once we got here throughout one of many espalier timber. It was then that he lastly let the tears stream.

Whereas we packed, our espalier was filled with ripe apples prepared for selecting. I had my eye on some delicious-looking apples and instructed myself I might decide just a few of them for us to take to the brand new home. However the busyness saved on coming, and the apples went forgotten.

Up till that second, kiddo didn’t let his grief out. He went by means of the empty home and toured the backyard with smiles and blissful goodbyes. However when he noticed the image of our beloved tree, the concept of all these untouched apples triggered his unhappiness. Collectively we grew these apples and loved them for many of his life.

Whereas I’m additionally unhappy to by no means decide one other apple from that tree, I can’t assist however take into consideration the brand new householders. They are going to be greeted with a tree filled with apples to welcome them to what’s now their dwelling. It’s a reminder that once we maintain the world round us, it takes care of us in return. It’s my hope that they get pleasure from and love the backyard even a fraction as a lot because the kiddo and I did. And that they get pleasure from these candy apples for a few years to come back.

Take a Break from Shifting Crops and Benefit from the New Backyard

When transferring, the home will take priority over what to unpack first. Make sure that your new crops are okay for a short while, whether or not meaning storing them some other place or giving them a fast watering upon arrival on the new place.

For any transfer, at all times have a field with the short necessities. For me, that’s my morning matcha. I had the kettle, mug, honey, and matcha able to go.

This fashion, I may nonetheless sit on my newly moved patio furnishings for just a few moments to get pleasure from my new house. Take heed to the brand new sounds and take a deep breathe of the smells round you. You’ve a model new backyard to name your individual!

Whereas there’s grief within the backyard, there’s loads of pleasure of what’s to come back. For years I’ve had a columnar natural hibiscus. In my backyard, I by no means had the house for it. I left it behind different crops for a very long time, but it surely by no means did nicely. Finally, I dug it up and put it in a pot. Nonetheless, the plant remained stressed.

When transferring the backyard, I made a decision to deliver it to the brand new place. I put the pot beside the entry stairs on the new dwelling. On the day the movers got here, it bloomed for the very first time, welcoming everybody to its new, blissful dwelling. It jogged my memory that loads of superb issues would come, one bloom at a time.

Regularly Requested Questions About Shifting Crops

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A metropolis woman who realized to backyard and it modified every thing. Writer, artist, Grasp Gardener. Higher dwelling by means of crops.