I am not an experienced gardener at all and came here seeking advice from those who know more than I do.
My mother has a garden area that is very thick and full of tulips and irises. She has had some issues with mice inhabiting this particular area. Being deathly afraid of them, she is determined to take out the thick vegetation of this particular space and put gravel there instead (she thinks this will make the area less appealing to rodents). She has asked me to help her empty the flower bed within the coming week. Her mind is made up, so whether this is advisable is not the question.
My question is whether any of these tulips or irises could potentially be saved. My own yard is sadly without many flowers and I would love to add some more color to it. However, I understand that the timing of a transplant attempt may not be conducive to success. It is my understanding that spring (when the plants are actively blooming) is the worst time to make such an effort.
I live about twenty minutes away from my mother, so it would be quite a trip to transplant. I would obviously be utilizing pots of dirt and such for the flowers to make the trip to my house. However is even that futile? If the plants wither this year during the transfer, would the bulbs/tubes still produce flowers during future years? What steps would increase my chances at having any success in this attempt?
My mother has a garden area that is very thick and full of tulips and irises. She has had some issues with mice inhabiting this particular area. Being deathly afraid of them, she is determined to take out the thick vegetation of this particular space and put gravel there instead (she thinks this will make the area less appealing to rodents). She has asked me to help her empty the flower bed within the coming week. Her mind is made up, so whether this is advisable is not the question.
My question is whether any of these tulips or irises could potentially be saved. My own yard is sadly without many flowers and I would love to add some more color to it. However, I understand that the timing of a transplant attempt may not be conducive to success. It is my understanding that spring (when the plants are actively blooming) is the worst time to make such an effort.
I live about twenty minutes away from my mother, so it would be quite a trip to transplant. I would obviously be utilizing pots of dirt and such for the flowers to make the trip to my house. However is even that futile? If the plants wither this year during the transfer, would the bulbs/tubes still produce flowers during future years? What steps would increase my chances at having any success in this attempt?
