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Repositioning dormant plants

cazsophieq2019cazsophieq2019 Posts: 193
in Problem solving

    :)  Hi all


Me again..... this is going to be my first year (2021) when I am hoping to get a better grasp of what a gardener does at specific times of year as a garden owner of three years.

Bought myself a second hand RHS Gardening Throughout the year and I can see tasks that I can get on with in January.

As I live by myself, work full-time my time is limited so I want to try and get some gardening tasks done while the going's good.

I have 3 plants which I believe need repositioned:

A hydrangea, a California blue blossom and a rose.  Pix attached
I'm hoping the photos provide a bit of context as where they are planted already.... the hydrangea is planted by the wall in the front garden border by the wall however I don'd think that's the right place for it, despite the front garden being a sun trap the wall area tends to be shaded. 
Both the rose and blue blossom are planted in a back garden border by a fence adjacent to an old shed which tends to be shaded as well. 
I would appreciate any advice that you can give me as I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by my garden and it's supposed to de stress me instead of overwhelming me lol.  :p
Thanks in advance
:)


Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    You can move plants around any time in the year. More riskier during growing season which tends to be in summer where watering may be an issue. Generally, when dormant, and not frosty, you can move plants.

    In your photos, the soil looks like it's been recently disturbed  and all plants don't look too large, so should be easier to move. Try to dig up as much surrounding soil so it's not disturbed too much.
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    Why is shade a problem for the hydrangea? It should do well in the conditions you describe.

    More generally, welcome to the wonderful world of gardening! Don't be afraid to make mistakes--it's the only way to find out what works, and absolutely every garden is different. Yours will change over the years. Take heart, and try the simple things first. Not everything ends up how it looks in garden books...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    The hydrangea will be fine in partial shade, they don't like full sun. The rose will also be okay as long as it gets at least 4 to 5 hours sunshine each day, preferably more. The ceanothus (Californian Lilac) prefers sun but like the rose, will make do with less. This plant needs quite a lot of room and grows fast but is short lived. All three plants can be moved in winter as long as it's not frosty.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • cazsophieq2019cazsophieq2019 Posts: 193
    Cambridgerose12 said:
    Why is shade a problem for the hydrangea? It should do well in the conditions you describe.

    More generally, welcome to the wonderful world of gardening! Don't be afraid to make mistakes--it's the only way to find out what works, and absolutely every garden is different. Yours will change over the years. Take heart, and try the simple things first. Not everything ends up how it looks in garden books...
    @Cambridgerose12  your feedback is very helpful.  Yeah I have a bit of a problem lol I can be impatient and a bit of a perfectionist perhaps gardening with provide the therapy I need ....... lol   Regarding the hydrangea's current location, that area of the garden tends tends to get a bit waterlogged particularly beside a wall therefore I'm worried that drainage may be a problem, this has appeared quite prevalent recently due to the amount  of rain early last week.  There were small shallow puddles around near the hydrangea making me think that I should relocate it where drainage is better.  Or perhaps a container.  :-)
  • cazsophieq2019cazsophieq2019 Posts: 193
    Lizzie27 said:
    The hydrangea will be fine in partial shade, they don't like full sun. The rose will also be okay as long as it gets at least 4 to 5 hours sunshine each day, preferably more. The ceanothus (Californian Lilac) prefers sun but like the rose, will make do with less. This plant needs quite a lot of room and grows fast but is short lived. All three plants can be moved in winter as long as it's not frosty.


    @Lizzie27 again, thanks for your feedback.  I can definitely say that the rose is not getting that amount of sunshine you suggest as it is planted (planted as a bare root) against a fence (the side on which the rose is planted is facing almost west ... ish) where as the other side is east.  The amount of sun in the back garden does increase as the year progresses however I thought it  might have flourished more as it was planted last December going to move to the front of the house to see how it goes there.  The exact same goes for the Ceanothus and it's getting less shade, never seems to blossom and I know how well they can blossom in the right circumstances..... fingers cross ;-)

    Thanks


    Caz

  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    When a plant.  Any plant is in it's dormant state.  This is the best and safest time to move it.  Yes, OK plants can be dug up and repanted elsware at any time.  Problems arise due to several circumstances.  A plant in full leaf, floweribg or not.  The sap, as it is generally called, is at it's high.  So interrupting the fow can cause ptoblems.  Whereas a plant in dormancy.  All the inportant life support has returned to the root or bulbous system and is, for  want of a better expression.  The plant is asleep.  Take care in the process.
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