I had a similar dilemma a few years ago.. From TX to KY, with 4 dogs, 6 cats, 12 horses, 2 barns, 33,000 feet of mesh wire fence.....the new owners wanted nothing but the land. They pushed our house into a very large hole. I was going to dig up what was left of the roses in the garden, but came home one day, and the workers had leveled my garden. I quickly became unattached to the plants.

Good luck!

Say goodbye, outdoor cats will manage on their own. New owners will eventually level a "weedbed", and change things you worked hard to develop, inside and out. Don't look back. Forget the past, start over with new challenges for the future. God bless and you'll be enjoying the benefits when you're 98.

Have you read Sydney Eddisons " Gardening for a Lifetime " She has written a beautiful story on the process of changing how we garden due to changes in our live. For her it was loosing her husband, but I easily applied it to similar changes in my life. I say......Grab her book, make some tea, decide what you would miss if you left behind hire a couple of boys for a few hours and dig what you want to take. Worst case, you go shopping in the spring for some hot new cultivars.

No Oldfixer, can't leave the cats. That would be nasty for the new owners since these cats would never warm up to them. We love them - they are part of our family so we have to take them. They would be able to find food unless we had another winter like last and that is in the cards!

I have Sydney Eddison's 'A Passion for Daylilies' and will try to find the book you suggest. Thank you!

Just want to say I admire your spirit and courage to undertake a move to a new state, it is a challenge at any age. I have moved a lot. The problem with moving plants is keeping them healthy until you are ready to replant them. This may mean digging new beds which is difficult to do while unpacking etc. best wishes

Thank you for taking your cats with you and not abadoning them. Since you probably feed them and take care of them winter survival would be a very iffy thing. As for the garden, take only what is very precious to you and what has a good chance of surviving the winter in a pot -hostas & daylilies are good candidates. If the new owners truly do not care about the plants and give permission for removal invite a local garden club to do a dig and donate the plants to the club. Good luck to you in your new home and new garden.

"..... can't leave the cats. That would be nasty for the new owners since these cats would never warm up to them. We love them - they are part of our family so we have to take them."

I'm so glad you posted this so I can catch my breath again, lol. No one should ever, never, ever abandon a cat! Do your best to get them acclimated to their new surroundings before letting them outside, ....if that's what you're going to do.

No matter what age moving is a big deal. I bet your head is spinning with all the things you have to plan ahead for. I moved two states over from z9 to z5, so I didn't bring a lot of plants with me. But I was surprised at how well some cuttings have done, after being packed on the truck earlier than I intended, in damp paper towels, inside a tin box.

I can see you being able to pack a lot of pieces of hostas and daylilies into a plastic bag with dampened paper towels or newspapers. Open and let the plants get some air when you get there. It's not the end of the world if they don't make it, but they just might surprise you.

Good luck on your move! I hope your new home is filled with happiness and many good years to come.

I also want to applaud you for bringing the cats along and not even considering the idea of leaving them behind. Good for you, and I'm sure everyone will appreciate it.

In addition of the great idea of inviting over the garden club (or craigslist, or Habitat for Humanity), I do hope you can save some favorites. Won't it be fun to have some of these faithful companions in your new home so they can put down roots just as you are doing the same? If it were me I would take some hostas and daylilies - just the choicest, fattest ones that would be the most fun to set up camp with in your new home.

Hang in there - good luck, keep us posted.

Welcome in advance to tn!! What part will you be moving to ? I live on the west side of nashville , 30 miles or so out , in a rural town named burns . If you are anywhere near let me know ! I moved here from pa . I brought 4 roses with me and we had that awful freeze so they didn't make it . I too left behind so much and the new owners gave away all my plants . I really wish I had taken some daylillies I loved .
If you can , think of maybe 10 plants you can't live with out , or will have a hard time replacing . Otherwise , you can find everything and more here. You will be in a different zone and that's fun !! You will be settled before you know it .

I'd try to take things that command a pretty penny and aren't frequently offered, as well as those with some sentimental value....but most can be easily replaced, though it may be 3-5 years before you see them full again.
For me, I have some rare native plants that as long as I was going within their tolerance zones, I'd try to take with me...and my lycoris, which some of those CVs aren't readily available and some are dumb luck to just find offered.
Chances are, unless I wanted to devote half a truck bed to it, my first azalea and my first clematis would have to stay here. Both are easily replaced on the market, just the sentimental value of 35 year old plants that have grown with you.
Remember, that many of your perennials probably can be divided so that you may not need to take as large a clump with you.

Put a notice outside saying free as long as you dig them ...at the very least, you will know that your treasured plants are not going to end up under concrete.

There are some legendary gardens which have been created in just over 3 years - grow a lot of annuals and propagate like crazy - you will see the results of your efforts in just a few weeks rather than years. Sounds a bit glib...but it is about the process rather than the results....try not to fret and good luck herding the cats. Sardine traps?

Yes, I plan to propagate like crazy! I 'Wintersow" every January and I am collecting seeds of everything.

As far as the cats go, I am not that great of a person. We are not taking the cats with us to help anybody but ourselves! They are family.

Anyone who considers cats as family members counts as a pretty great person in my book!

(In fact, I like certain cats quite a bit better than certain people, but I suppose that is a topic for another thread...)

what gives ... am i dreaming ...???

didnt i google up your county in KY just last winter ...????

seriously.... am i really this confused ... at least tell me it was two years ago???

ken

I'm another person who prefers cats to many people, so I have left gardens behind but never cats.

Three years ago DH and I drove in separate cars from MA to NM. I had the two cats and all the container plants. DH had luggage and stuff we needed when we arrived. It took a week and fortunately I've blocked most of it from memory.

When I left Iowa, I invited friends to come and take cuttings, divisions and gave away most of my gardening tools. So even if I left the gardens I had created over 10 years, at least some of the plants survived in other homes. I'm sure the new owners managed to trash everything in no time flat.

I would take cuttings or divisions of rare plants, give away lots to friends and neighbors and leave everything else. Gardens reflect their owners. In a short time your garden won't be recognizable.

Good luck,
Cheryl

Don't know what you googled. Our house was on the market since Feb. and we have been looking at several different areas in TN. It still isn't a done deal but we are close.

must have been someone else ... they were wondering what they could grow in TN.. as compared to wherever they were previously ... i think i looked up their potential extension office ...

whatever.. good luck ...

ken

We moved from the west coast to the Midwest five years ago with five cats and two children in a mini van. DH did most if the driving. At one point during the drive I concluded that I was certifiably insane. We had cat carriers but we also put collars and leashes on each cat in case of escapes. Now that it is a distant memory , it can go into the adventure category.

We brought one little seedling from a tree in our yard and that is it for plsnts. I think there are agricultural restrictions in place plus the zones were radically different. Still, I did miss a few plants...and the warmer weather! I would try to take a couple of small divisions of your favorites.

Anyways, wishing you best of luck and some commiseration.

As one who has moved several times I agree with those who suggest seeds, cuttings and divisions and only the most absolute special plants. Then you won't be overburdened with the need to get your new garden set up quickly and can enjoy exploring your new environment, finding what grows well there and new to you plant choices, as well as all the other demands that a new home and community put on your time and energy. That way your new garden can grow to the size that works best for you at the moment.

I would like to reinforce the suggestion of leashes or some kind of restraint and carriers because of family experiences of traveling with cats, one involving a cat that escaped during their stopover visit at our home and was never seen again. Another family lost a cat that was loose in the car during a car accident. Much sadness.

I too moved from a very well -established (25 years) garden....and with both a dog and a cat :-) They were way more important than attempting to take many plants and I will second the suggestion to take only those plants you can't bear to live without. And be ruthless in your determination of what and how many those are. Most can be easily replaced and I think you'll find that your change in environment will offer many new potential choices that you didn't have available at your old home.

Since my old home was supposedly purchased as a rental property and I had a rather complicated garden, none of the plants were restricted by the sale - I could take or remove what I wanted. I did give a few treasured plants to gardening friends who I know would really appreciate them and tend them carefully. Whatever else I didn't take with me (mostly those plants already grown in containers and therefore somewhat ready to move anyway), I sold. I advertised on Craig's List as a plant collector selling off the garden and opened it to the public for one weekend as a 'you dig' opportunity. The only things I exempted were those trees and shrubs that were simply too large to be easily moved.

I made a boatload of $$ from the sale, far more than I did from the traditional moving sale of unwanted/unneeded belongings. That funded much of my new garden :-) While I commend donating plants to a garden club, as a plant collector, I had a lot of unusual and somewhat valuable plants and was not very inclined just to give them all away. Not sure if this is the best solution for you but just something to think about.

What I did transport with me was all manner of garden accessories I could not bear to leave behind.....a stone bench, a copper trellis, various ornaments, etc. Filled an entire pick-up with non-plant garden "stuff" :-)

Really the only plants I regretted leaving behind were the trees. There was nothing planted when I first purchased the property and I planted everything in the garden, including a great collection of trees. Obviously, these were not something I could take with me nor were they anything I was willing to have someone dig up and remove. I would have loved to have seen them all grow and mature, but that's just the nature of changing gardens -- you start over again.

I know it's hard to move across country with kids and pets and plants - my poor kids had to endure being close to my two large aloe barbadens plants, which are covered in sharp thorns; the moving company misjudged how much stuff we had after they sent out a guy and he measured and counted our boxes and furniture. Our two vehicles were packed to the ceilings, plants got a bit mashed, many left behind, and a couple were put on the truck even though it was prohibited and one died. Sad thing is, I was even more of a beginner then than I still am now, so I didn't have much at all! I can't imagine what it's like to have to leave behind that much from that long!!!!!!
The pets we moved with us were 10 angel fish, 3 cory cats, guppies, and a very large African clawed frog. We moved them in 10 gal buckets, my husband bought a converter for the cigarette lighter and we had bubblers going in all the buckets. Everything survived. We had to sell a lot of fish on Craigslist before hand, which was heart breaking. But I think everyone should be responsible about their pets, so I'm glad you're taking the cats. I hate it when people leave behind cats, dump them off, or put fish into streams etc.
I liked the idea of allowing people to come dig up plants; if that is acceptable to the new owners - could write something into the contract about the plants. But for yourself, definitely take a division of what you want the most, put in bags with wet paper towels as suggested earlier. Just like if you were going to do a trade online here at GW. I've been trading all summer, my first year trading, and I LOVE it!!!! You could easily get a garden full of plants just from the generous people here on GW. You could trade some of your plants here on the trading forums, if you have the time for it, and tell your trading partner to hold off sending their trade to you. You might even be able to get a division off your own plant later down the road that way. Just a suggestion. I'm addicted to this plant and seed trading!!! If you aren't trading yet, you should totally try it after you get settled into your new house.
If it were me, I would be wishing the new house's garden was prepped and ready for the plant divisions I was taking as I was wrapping up my stuff with bubble wrap and paper . . . I was fretting over having a window for my houseplants!!! (In addition to worrying about whether or not the angel fish would even survive! And how I was going to keep 3 babies happy and fed as I drove alone!)
It was a production, and it was VERY stressful, but it was worth it. We've been at this house for almost a year, and I have been shaping the gardens to my own liking, weeding, adding tons of new plants, weeding, expanding beds, weeding . . . and I'm so happy and proud of what I've done in one growing season. I'm going to try wintersowing this winter!!!
Best of luck to you, get as much help as possible, remain calm, put it all in God's hands and let go - all will work out in the end. You'll have a lush, full garden again in just a few years!

So, how's it going, Ryse.Ryse?

Not great Campanula. House sales falling through, closings delayed, and I really don't know exactly where we are right now. We are closing on 39 acres in a couple of weeks which will allow us to take our camper to TN and scout out houses (AGAIN!). We still can't do anything until (another) closing on our house and 19 acres.

Everything is up in the air and is causing stress. I sure don't want to move in the middle of winter. I keep hoping it will all come together in a timely fashion but there are so many parts to the whole.

Grief - keeping my finger's crossed for you, Ryse. Next year (and all succeeding years) you will look back in amazement (and pride) that you survived to grow a new garden and make a new home your own. Hugs.

I hate winter moves.
Have you used online house search sites like Trulia? They were really helpful for us, to look at places near and far, for free! We spent hours pouring over what we saw on the internet, then went to see in person the best ones. It really helped us. It was an emotional help, too - we were able to feel like we were doing something as we stayed up late from sleeplessness. Moving is so stressful!!! But once you get your new house, it turns into an adventure!!! Good luck!!!