Moving, taking plants with you

[vette-kid]

My wife thinks im crazy. We are moving in about six weeks and in planning to dog up several plants to take with me. We have 6 varieties of canna lily (including two variegated and a white "ginger" lily), 6 varieties of banana (including a variegated that goes for about $150 for a pup) and 2 types of elephant ear that I'd like to take. The canna are easy since they are about done anyway, I can just take the rhizomes. Same with elephant ear, banana is a little more tricky,but not too bad.

Anyone else move plants with them from their garden? Or is my wife right?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

What your asking for is not unreasonable if it makes you happy. It costs nothing to do that, but your time . I am sure she is taking certain sentimental items that mean nothing to you. Sounds like in your gut you will miss not having them.
I remember, when I was about 6, my family moved into a house of an old lady, as she was being driven out, she looked over to her rose bushes and said, "Oh my babies". Still to this day I remember her mournful tone. Wish I had thought of telling her later that my Dad was good with them to make her happy. They were beautiful.

Take them.

 

[Chuck]

If moving them in a pickup truck keep the wind off of them.

 

[vette-kid]

If moving them in a pickup truck keep the wind off of them.

The lily's and elephant ear will pretty much just be rhizomes. The bananas that have cold damage anyway will be cut back so wind won't be an issue. There are a few undamaged though. I may get a closed uhaul for them. Thanks for the tip, almost overlooked that.

 

[vette-kid]

What your asking for is not unreasonable if it makes you happy. It costs nothing to do that, but your time . I am sure she is taking certain sentimental items that mean nothing to you. Sounds like in your gut you will miss not having them.
I remember, when I was about 6, my family moved into a house of an old lady, as she was being driven out, she looked over to her rose bushes and said, "Oh my babies". Still to this day I remember her mournful tone. Wish I had thought of telling her later that my Dad was good with them to make her happy. They were beautiful.

Take them.

Ha, she gives me a hard time but she always loves the results. I would definitely miss these as I've put some hard work into them and love the tropical feel they bring.

 

[marlingardener]

We arrived at the farm with two pallets of plants in pots. People thought we were opening a nursery! All of the plants were ones I loved. I had to leave the big rose bushes behind, but I'd taken cuttings and rooted them, so I still have some of my "babies" with us.
If you are moving with an open truck, try to move the plants on a cloudy day, and cover them with sheets. Wind is more of an enemy to plants in a pick-up truck than sun, but both can cause a bit of damage.
Water well before transporting, and put them in the shade when you arrive. Keep them shaded for a few days until you can pop them into the ground. The rhizomes in a pot of dampened peat moss will hold indefinitely.
I have the feeling I'm preaching to the choir here--you have a wealth of experience with these plants. You have a lovely garden, and the next one will be even better!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

easier for protection could be a tall clothing cardboard box.

 

[Owdboggy]

Not sure about the USA but in Britain, you may not dig up and remove plants from the garden, unless you exclude them from the sale.
When we moved here I brought over 3,000 plants with me. We were going to open a Nursery. We moved in October and it began to freeze almost immediately and stayed frozen until February. We lost most of the plants (to drought, not cold.)
We are hoping to move in the new year. This house is sold and we are negotiating for a new one. I think we have about 3,000 plants to go again. Trouble is that the new place's garden is a lot lot smaller than this one, so it may be a problem fitting them in.

 

[vette-kid]

Not sure about the USA but in Britain, you may not dig up and remove plants from the garden, unless you exclude them from the sale.
When we moved here I brought over 3,000 plants with me. We were going to open a Nursery. We moved in October and it began to freeze almost immediately and stayed frozen until February. We lost most of the plants (to drought, not cold.)
We are hoping to move in the new year. This house is sold and we are negotiating for a new one. I think we have about 3,000 plants to go again. Trouble is that the new place's garden is a lot lot smaller than this one, so it may be a problem fitting them in.

I don't think there is a specific rule over that here, but I would be sure any potential buyers knew I would be taking some with me. The lily mats are pretty full so they wouldn't even notice that.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

to exclude certain things from the house and property is not hard to do. ( If the garden is also affected) Its just a matter of writing it in to the contract. Like for instant , I have a one of a kind, made for me, center dinning room light that goes every where I go, that would be taken down and stored and a "normal" one put up there in its place.

Thinking about my plants/shrubs, its hard to say what I would do, guess when the time comes, have to see what I am about and where I am going. don't plan to leave my house for 20 years.

 

[Chuck]

In Texas all plants can be moved except trees

 

[alp]

Not sure about the USA but in Britain, you may not dig up and remove plants from the garden, unless you exclude them from the sale.
When we moved here I brought over 3,000 plants with me. We were going to open a Nursery. We moved in October and it began to freeze almost immediately and stayed frozen until February. We lost most of the plants (to drought, not cold.)
We are hoping to move in the new year. This house is sold and we are negotiating for a new one. I think we have about 3,000 plants to go again. Trouble is that the new place's garden is a lot lot smaller than this one, so it may be a problem fitting them in.

Congratulations for having sold the house and being able to move. Seems to be a bad time to move with plants again .. now that it's winter.

If I move, I will take everything with me.. EVERYTHING! And I will state clearly that they are not included in the sale. Son even wanted to move the ceramic sink with us.. Talking about meanie!

 

[CanadianLori]

Yes, I agree that the wind can be deadly. I remember once bringing home a plant in my little Mustang convertible. I ended up taking side roads and moving at a crawl because even 10 miles an hour seemed brutal!

 

[marlingardener]

When we sold our house in town that had an extensive garden, I made sure to get seeds and cuttings from my favorite plants. Our realtor told me I couldn't dig and remove plants. I didn't care--the younger and smaller plants from cuttings and seed starts were more likely to survive the trip.
Vette-kid, do what you can to save your favorite plants. If the new owners complain about missing plants, remember that it is better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission!

 

[Owdboggy]

We are only taking things which are the sales plants, specials which cannot be replaced (as divisions or cuttings) and a few with sentimental associations. We are only moving about 5 miles so can probably do a lot of car journeys with plants in.
My wife thinks it is silly, but she is going along with it, if it keeps me happy.
Good luck with your moving, Vette-kid.