I'm so sorry for all who have lost gardens; it's something I think about from time to time as I consider maybe moving ... and yet keep on gardening! Here's another "flip side" story. When we purchased this home 31 years ago in August, there wasn't much growing except a few clumps of "ditch lilies", a pair of poosly azaleas, one sorry boxwood, some leggy mountain laurel, and enormous plain green hostas ringing everything including the many tall old oak trees. No grass to speak of in this sandy soil, not even weeds! As eager as I was to start planting, I insisted to my dear young husband that we wait at least until spring, preferably a full year, so as not to disturb anything dormant that the previous owner might have planted. Well, we waited and were rewarded with ... nothing ... except the aforementioned undernourished specimens. Not even one daffodil. So ... I set about enriching the soil (I'd had a year to get some compost started, after all, and lots of oak leaves to shred), much to the amusement of one of my neighbors who insisted nothing would grow here. Have been amending and planting, failing and succeeding ever since, and the recent front yard re-do is finally the garden I'd always dreamed of, with roses and perennials shoulder-to-shoulder, jostling, embracing and supporting each other and peeking over-under-through the white picket fence. Today, for the first time in my life, I walked under - UNDER! - roses blooming on my own arbor (ok, there were only three up there, but there are more where those came from). That neighbor would never recognize the ol' place [big smile]. Did I say something about moving? There are some beautiful thoughts expressed in this thread to help any of us cope with that eventuality, particularly catsrose comment, "Put your love into your new garden and let it grow" and hoovb's paragraph that begins "The garden really is the gardener." Thank you all. Diane

I might add that early last spring I moved/divided a peony, and even had it bloom a few months later. Sue

I would second the idea of packing a little in advance and, if possible, take the packed items back with you in your car trunk so Friday won't be a flurry of moving type activity. Pack at least 7 changes of clothing at first; that will initially give your Mother enough leeway until her laundry facility routine is worked out. Will she be doing her own laundry, or does staff do that for the residents on a schedule? In some facilities, each resident is assigned a certain time slot. Just for your own benefit, it would be good for you to know about the laundry, what time meals are served, what time of the day there are group or planned activities, religious services, hair salon appointments... the daily facility routine. I've found that really helps with picking times to visit, etc. since I want my Mother to interact and socialize with the residents and don't want my visiting to take away from that but be an addition to it. As for stuff besides clothing and personal care items - some family photos, clock radio if she enjoys music, small TV unless they have giant screen TV's in the common rooms. A favorite knick-knack or two. A few different sized plates, cups, glasses and silverware for the kitchenette. Really, at first I wouldn't bring a lot; in a short while you'll know what she needs, would like to have around her or how to decorate to cheer up the space. Depending on how much space there is, might not be room for much more than a comfortable chair, bookcase and perhaps a small table. I wish you well with this venture and let us know how it goes. It's not easy, but just remember that your Mother will be in a much safer environment and you won't have to worry about her day to day welfare.

Yep, some of the allotments in my town have a similar rule about majority edibles. I did have a plot on a big site which had similar rules but I was quite keen to grow fruit and vegetables when my family was younger. I had another allotment when I was at college and got my current one when I moved back to my home town. It was easy to rent one from the council back then (80s/90s) but there are long waiting lists now (several years). However, there is also a tradition of people growing exhibition plants (flowers and vegetables), as well as niche interests such as herbs, dye plants, single species such as sweet peas, often with breeding going on), Several national collections of genera are held on allotments. Some of the newer sites have 'no shed' rules but old established sites have become quite anarchic over the years. Some of the sites in my home town are older than 100 years with the oldest ones going back to the 1908 land and allotment acts, when many sites were formally registered There has been a tradition of allotments going back as far is the Domesday book but as ever, are always exposed to the vicissitudes of politics. They are much older than wartime and were actually established as a therapeutic philanthropic solution to the terrible health of the landless labouring poor, especially in urban environments. Whilst food production has always been popular, it was just as common to see plots given over to raising giant gooseberries or cottage tulips There were over a million registered plots during wartime but this has diminished to around 300,000. I am on a tiny site (19 plots) so it is too small to have any sort of committee or association (although there are always a couple of people who would be really, really keen to impose rules). The council officer doesn't care what we grow as long as the plots are cultivated (and sadly, even on my tiny site, there are always 3 or 4 (or more) plots which are utterly neglected. My neighbours, of 9 years,have a quarter of a plot and have done NOTHING the whole time. They get a 'dirty plot' letter every year, but you just have to show the barest evidence of cultivation to be let off for another year. They don't want to do anything themselves but they won't give it up either: the annual rent is minuscule. Lazy and selfish. The poor turnover of plots is probably the best argument for some sort of management, I guess, but I suspect there would be some moaning about my own so I would, on balance prefer the live and let live approach. I haven't been at this plot for as long as you, Floral - just over 20 years - but long enough for it to have acquired a very lived-in feel, with a lot of mature plants and trees - mainly fruit or nuts. It is entirely possible that I give up growing any vegetables next year (will still keep the fruit though) because I am planning to raise a few plants to sell (which is also borderline allowed as long as I don't sell anything at the actual plot).