Tuesday 31 March 2015

End of Month View – March

Last month I showed you the new rose bed, all the changes I had done and everything I had planned for this bed. Today, a month later, every plan has been thrown out of the window and my whole garden looks very different. I am hoping to move house soon! I still haven’t got a final decision and it might be another whole month until I know for sure, but I have to plan for a move and hope for the best, because once I get a decision, things will have to happen fast.

I plan to take with me as many plants as I can possibly lift and put into pots, and the work is taking a lot of time. All the plants I have put into pots so far will be happy in pots for up to a year, so as long as they get enough water I will have plenty of time to decide where to plant them in the new garden. If you thought I had many pots before, you should see my garden now....there are pots EVERYWHERE. I passed 500 pots some time ago so I guess I have around 530 or so – and probably another almost 100 to go. I have always said my garden is the most important room in my house, so of course I am taking with me everything I can from it! That doesn’t mean the new tenant will take over a completely empty garden, far from it, there are many large shrubs and trees that are impossible to dig up, and I am sure I have missed hundreds of spring bulbs which will come up next year. And then there are all the hellebore seedlings – in 3-4 years time the bottom of my garden will be a hellebore jungle if none of the seedlings are thinned out. The new tenant is not a gardener at all, he just wants a place to sit outside and somewhere for his 2 dogs to run around. I am leaving him many low-maintenance shrubs and have promised to come back and help him a few times with the remaining plants and shrubs over the next year. I have offered to teach him how to take care of them in return for being allowed to dig up a few remaining plants I haven’t taken up by the time I move. He has said yes to that and since we only live a few miles away from each other I think it will be possible for me to do so.

The new garden I am hoping to be the owner of soon is a bit bigger than my current garden, and it has some nice features I don’t have now. I have never had a shed and the new garden has TWO, one small for tools and one big shed I can use as potting shed when it is raining. That’s going to be a great improvement from today’s working conditions! The new garden also has back access, which I also look forward to – no more dragging plants and soil through the whole house! And the new garden is big enough for a small greenhouse, although it will have to be put up on the shady side of the house – better than no greenhouse!

I have no idea what kind of plants there are in the new garden, that’s going to be a surprise for the next 6-12 months I suppose, I will just have to see what comes up in the different beds and try to identify them. I think there might be plenty of photos here on my blog with questions to my readers if they can help identify plants for me, that is of course if I get the house – I still don’t know. This waiting time is awful, I know I won’t be able to pack up my house AND my garden in just a short time so I have to assume I get the house and just go for it now while I have time. I might be lifting plants and packing up belongings just to be told I haven’t got the house after all. But that’s a risk I just have to take as I can’t wait with everything to last minute.

While digging, lifting and potting plants I am enjoying spring in my garden. My magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’ has started to flower, the huge camellia is in flower, plants are emerging everywhere. It’s a good time to lift plants and I am counting the days towards Moving Day!



I hope the removal men won’t faint when they see all the pots that are coming with my belongings! I intend to get a pre-visit to get a quote so they can see for themselves exactly what’s involved but still....it’s a lot of pots and containers to carry. I have been in touch with a company to get crates to put the smaller pots in to make it easier to carry them. The crates are stackable, the kind used in grocery stores and bakeries, and if I get hold of some, that will make it a bit easier to carry the pots and take less space on the lorry. 

I will keep you all updated on the progress and hope to post a GBBD post on the 15th, not sure if I know by then if I am moving or not but fingers and toes crossed!
I am linking this post to Helen at The Patient Gardener’s Weblog. Please visit her blog for many more March gardens.
Until next time, take care.

58 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! How exciting! And how daunting. All your beautiful plants - how can you bear to leave anything behind? Oh, but the chance to start all over again in a new garden is such an adventure. I wish you well on your journey into new territory and I look forward to your updates.

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    1. Thanks Dorothy, I keep lifting plants and potting up – as you say, I can’t bear to leave much so I am trying to find as many as possible. There are plants that haven’t even emerged yet and today I have lifted oriental bulbs that were still safely tucked underground. I am sure I didn’t plant them as deep as they were, I wonder if they burrow deeper as they mature – or perhaps were hiding?! Anyway, I found most of those I was looking for today :-)

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  2. Dear Helene, I really keep my fingers crossed for you that you can move into the new house! You seemed so excited to do so and you certainly already have packed up your garden.
    Over 500 pots to move that is quite impressive to me. It must have been so much work to transplant all the plants from the garden into containers and I admire your energy to get it done.
    To see your garden in the video was very lovely, as always. The flowering magnolia and the red camellia are so very beautiful. Also the different varieties of daffodils really spoke to me.
    Despite the (hopefully) upcoming move I hope you can continue to enjoy spring in your garden!
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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    1. Thank you Christina, I have just moved one step closer to getting the bungalow, I haven’t signed a contract yet but it is now quite sure I will get it. There are just lots of details to sort out first. I am lifting a few plants every day, it is a slow process but as long as I do a bit every day I will get there in the end! My magnolia is lovely right now, almost fully out and I am thinking of where I can plant it in my new garden. Enjoy your spring garden too!

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  3. Beautiful daffodil. I've been missing your beautiful and colorful garden. Especially your fuchsia, dahlia and sunflower. Hoping the summer come soon! happy gardening, Helene!

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    1. Thanks Endah, my garden is mostly in pots right now and will be for most of the summer until I get organised in my new house. Hopefully I will manage to water everything during the hot period here as plants in pots require much more frequent watering.

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  4. What a work Helene. I keep my fingers crossed for you.
    Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Thanks Marijke, nothing finalised yet but it seems I will be getting the house. I won’t know for sure until I can sign the contract and that’s probably a good few more weeks till.

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  5. You must be sad to leave some beautiful shrubs. Will you take some cuttings on the grounds that if they don't take you haven't lost anything? Is the person leaving the new garden a keen gardener? It must be very stressful not knowing but good to be able to revisit the garden and know that it is being looked after.

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    1. I have taken a few cuttings but will take some more later on. As I said in my post, the new tenant is not a gardener at all and knows nothing about garden plants, taking with me all the plants will also help him as he would never had been able to take care of a garden like mine – and would not be interested in having the plants I am taking anyway. The shrubs I am leaving are mostly low maintenance and I will teach him what to do with those that need any care at all.

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    2. I meant the tenant of the garden you are moving to.

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  6. over 500 pots is amazing - it will be exciting planting them in their new home, and finding out what awaits you in the soil of the new garden. I wish you all the best for the move, Helene.

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    1. Thanks Sue, I look forward to watching things emerge in the new garden, might be some nice gems there for all I know, the current tenant had no idea what is growing in his garden except he thought there was an apple tree there.

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  7. You will find it very exciting making a new garden Helene! I admire your courage. It took a lot of persuasion for Brenda to get me to make the move from Bolton Percy to my much larger garden but I have never regretted it. Don't look back over your shoulder, your old garden will never be the same and will inevitably deteriorate.
    Think of all the pleasure it has given you and move on.
    I see my old garden quite often and to my surprise I watch any changes with interest but no emotion!

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    1. Thanks Roger, I so excited about having a new garden that I know I will leave this one and not look back – mainly because I am taking so many of my plants with me, but also because I will get a garden so much more practical for me in my situation. The big shed is one of the best features of the new garden to be honest, just the thought of being able to sit in the shed and pot plants when it’s raining and not having to go inside makes me giggle!

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  8. Helene this will be very exciting a new garden where you can make a new start and it is bigger, anyway you have already 500 pots with plants to plant, but it must be stressful waiting for the final decision, we'll hope for the best.
    It's a pity I live too far away, otherwise I could help you moving plants.

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    1. I would have loved to have help by someone as experienced as you :-) I only have one gardening friend here in London and she works full time and is of course very busy so I have to do this on my own. I hope to have a decision soon, but it seems like I have moved one step closer to a yes, just waiting for a lot of things to get sorted.

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  9. Oh goodness gracious (my grandmother used to say that). Whenever it's time for you to move, I hope it goes well and the transition is smooth. It will be fascinating to see you build your new garden! Good luck, and do be careful!

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    1. Thanks Beth, I am trying to be careful….trying! A dislocated hip right now would be the worst timing ever. I haven’t packed up anything in the house yet, just worked on lifting plants in the garden – I am prioritising you know! But soon I will have to get started on the house. Many late evenings to come I think. I hope to have some good news in a few weeks’ time.

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  10. Hei Helene!

    Så spennende det er å følge med på hvordan det blir med din nye hage når du får flyttet. 500 potter er ikke småtteri, nei, men du er heldig som har kommet så lang i den jobben det er å potte de opp. Mange potter, mye jord, og mye å vanne...:) Håper din Magnolia ikke har mistet alle blomstene i stormen!
    Så synd at du ikke kan få med deg den store Camelliaen, for den er jo bare så fantastisk!
    Nydelige helleborus du har, spessielt de som er rosa som du viste i filmen. Jeg kunne gjerne hatt en hage full av bare de, men da hadde det vel blitt litt kjedelig utpå sommeren :)

    Ønsker deg en god påske!

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    1. Hei Marit, magnoliaen min har fortsatt alle blomstene i behold, utrolig, de må sitte godt fast! Det er bra å flytte på denne tiden mens det fortsatt er ganske kjølig, jeg håper jeg kan få plantet mye før sommervarmen blir på det verste her i juli og august, da kan det bli vanskelig å holde alle plantene i live med hageslange. Den store camelliaen må nok gå i arv enda en gang til, jeg arvet den da jeg flyttet inn og den er nok 50-60 år gammel. Altfor gammel til å flyttes, måtte ha hatt gravemaskin og heisekran i tilfelle!!
      God påske til deg også!

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  11. I will keep my fingers crossed all goes well Helene. I think its more difficult moving to a house where the garden is smaller. What am I going to do, you are the inspiration for my small garden. I thought that we had a lot of pots to take when we moved but my goodness, I can just picture your garden at the moment. Sheds and greenhouse, very exciting.

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    1. My garden looks like a mid-size garden centre at the moment, and I am not finished lifting plants! All the beds are full of pots but I am slowly getting there.

      My current back garden is 62m2 and the new I am hoping to get is 106m2 so about 40% bigger – although the 2 sheds take up some of that space, so does a piece of lawn that I am definitely removing and then there are a few trees. Definitely bigger, but considering what I have today most gardens would be bigger – I will still have a small garden :-)

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  12. I can well imagine the frustration of waiting as the details of your move are sorted out, as well as the frenzy of activity associated with getting ready for the move. I did something of the same thing in preparing for our last move well before our home purchase decision was finalized. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done but you have a great head start. Negotiating with the future resident of your current home to make a few return visits will be a help too. I've got my fingers crossed that all goes smoothly.

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    1. Thanks Kris, I am a very organised person but I must admit I find the whole process rather daunting at the moment – there is so much to do! As soon as I get a contract I know what I am planning towards and will get a moving date, that’s going to make things easier.

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  13. Wow! I missed a post and you have a huge change coming up ahead. Wishing you all the best and lots of helping hands.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary, I haven’t signed a contract yet, but I am hoping – fingers crossed. I wish I had lots of helping hands here but I am afraid it’s just me – I am doing a little bit every day and hope I won’t run out of time. The actual move will be done by a removal company but I have to pack up everything myself and unpack afterwards. Not sure yet how I will transport all the plants to the new house but I am working on it. Got a loooong list of things to sort out and decide on, if I had deeper pockets I could just pay a company to come and do it all for me but sadly that’s not the case :-)

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  14. I do hope you will have a new house and new garden. Especially that this house has no first floor and you won't go up stairs. About your new garden - I think it's an adventure and you'll plan and plan the paths, beds, using sheds etc. This will be amazing time. The hard work is to move ALL. I liked your video, the music Moving day is goes well to many pots all around your garden. Good luck, dear!

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    1. Thank you Nadezda, I know I will feel very relieved once I am in the new house – if I get there! But I am preparing for a move and hoping for the best. I am already dreaming of what I can do with the new garden and the shed will be so good to have!

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  15. How exciting, all that potential. I hope it works out for you and I look forward to seeing the photos of the new garden

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    1. Thanks, I am still digging up plants, will soon have to start sorting on the house – but I have my priorities right, the garden first!

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  16. If ever there was a year you'd be wishing for a cool summer it will be this one if the move is finalised Helene.
    It will be a real mixture of emotions for you and a move for the better for you I think.
    I'm excited for you Helene and if anyone can get such a massive task done, you can. You are such a determined and focused person.
    Good luck with the remainder of the work. Wish I'd lived nearer - I'd be round there like a shot offering to help.

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    1. I must admit I would not mind a rather cool summer, yes. Or rain every night perhaps? I wish you lived nearer too Angie, I could do with some helping hands the next few months. The few people I have around me are not gardeners at all and I only have one friend here in London who is. But it will just have to take as long as it have to, by planting everything in proper pots with slow release fertiliser at least the plants are fine for up to a year as long as they get watered.

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  17. Your sound like you are very busy getting ready for the big move. It is a tremendous number of pots you are planning to move. I hope that your plans get settled soon and that all goes smoothly.

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    1. Thanks Jennifer, I have never done anything remotely like this before so time will tell if it was wise or rather silly :-)

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  18. my pots are blooming while they wait ... but I hope that one last week of alterations will let me in the new garden. We've gone smaller, so we have a space to enjoy instead of being overwhelmed.
    Exciting - wish you well in every sense as you move

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    1. Thanks Diana, I guess most of my pots will be blooming too, I hope they won’t have to flower for the second time before I get around to plant them! My current garden is 62m2 and the house I hope to move to has a garden of 106m2 so a bigger garden, but still small :-)

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  19. Very exciting news, and what fun and adventure to have a brand new garden. Congratulations, and best of luck with your move.

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    1. It is fun, exciting, scary and daunting – all at the same time! I hope to have a decision soon, the waiting is the worst, once I have signed a contract and I get a moving date things get a bit easier.

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  20. So much beauty, but your camellia is still my favorite plant in your garden. Best of luck with your move. I can't wait to see you video tours of your new garden! Please give us a "before" tour so that we can see how much it changes after you apply your magic ;-)

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    1. Thanks Rebecca, I will make sure to take some before-photos, I hope to make a visit to the house just after Easter to take another look so I can plan a bit what to bring. I am sorry to have to leave the camellia behind but the ‘Grand Lady’ of my garden is too big and old to be relocated. I would have needed a digger and a crane should I have taken it out!!

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  21. Keeping my fingers crossed for you too Helene! Moving is a huge undertaking and especially moving a garden...530 pots. I wish I could have been prepared and moved many of the plants in my old garden to this one. Good Luck and I can't wait to see a new garden emerging wherever it is!

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    1. Thanks Donna, I am still lifting plants and potting up, but I am beginning to see the end, maybe 4-5 more days work now. I have no idea how many pots I have in total but I think I am nearing 600! I have to start on the house soon, clearing stuff and packing, but my priority has been the garden of course :-)

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  22. How exciting but nerve wracking at the same time! I hope you'll be able to minimize the amount of time the pots are on the truck and will get some help sorting the garden out once you're settled. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks, I am already dreaming about what I can do with my new garden – even before I have signed any contract :-)

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  23. How wonderful to start a new garden but with many of your old friends from your former garden! I don't have a shed, so I know how excited you must be that you will have two! My dear hubby keeps promising me one, but somehow it has never become top priority. Best wishes; I am eagerly waiting to see your future posts!

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    1. At the moment, the thought of getting a big shed is one of the highlights of the new house! In my current garden I have to go inside when it starts raining, with a large shed I can use it as a potting shed and work there. I could never get a shed put up here as there was nowhere to put it, but I have missed having one.

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  24. I love the video!
    Have you talked to your plants about moving? They may need to be reassured that although moving may be stressful, they are going to love their new garden home. You know, I'm sure, how well plants respond to their human's voice.
    Best of luck on your move!
    Lea

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    1. Thanks, glad you liked the video :-)
      I think my plants are prepared for a long transitional period, they are all potted up with slow release fertiliser and pots that are big enough for growing for about a year. I am giving myself about a year to get sorted and I think I will need it. I also need to see what comes up in the new garden, I have no idea what’s growing in the flowerbeds there :-)

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  25. oh goodness, moving is so much fun and so stressful. The idea of a large new garden with sheds sounds wonderful but I am well aware of the work moving entails. I've done it too many times to count and it never gets easier. Good for you potting all those plants up and getting ahead of the game. Sounds like you are well planned out and things should go smoothly. Fingers crossed the house comes through for you!

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    1. Thanks Marguerite, the house I am currently living in is the 23rd house counting from birth, I have packed up many houses in the past too! But I have been here nearly 14 years and was in much better health when moving in the past. I hope to get a few helping hands but not sure how many will materialise when I get close to the moving day. I have therefore just started on the work, banking on the move going ahead so I can do a bit of work every day. When moving day appears I have to be out of here, ready or not :-)

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  26. Hi Helen,
    How are you? I'm back to the gardening and blogging world after a long hiatus. I loved the video, especially the editing -- from classical it was jumping to "it's a moving day" :-). More than 600 pots!!! You have lots of patience and also how did you collect 600 pots!!?? I hope that you get your new garden and then I can't wait to see how you are going to design it up. Hopefully, you will put everything here in the blog so that we can learn and follow. All the best :-).

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    1. Great to see you back, nice to hear you liked the video. I have lifted plants for what feels like ages now, and today I only have 3 more plants to lift! I counted my pots today and in total, counting every single pot from the smallest cutting pot to the largest container I have 649 !!! And they are all coming with me to my new house :-) I will update you all on how the move is going, I hope to write a new post on the 15th for GBBD.

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    2. Oh, and how did I collect all the pots….I had many from before, but I bought 250 online from a nursery, various sizes, did cost some money but not as bad as if I had gone to a shop.

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  27. Exciting times ahead Helene, I hope all goes well for you.

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    1. Thanks Rick, still don’t know if I am moving but it looks more like it by now. I won’t feel sure until I have signed the contract but I am packing up my house and garden as if I am moving – just got to get on with it, I simply can’t pack up and move in a week :-)

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  28. What exciting news Helene. A new bigger garden with sheds & access and new gardening adventures to have. Give strict instructions to the removalists about the plants, but remember that you will probably lose a couple. Some to the removalists lack of care despite your strict instructions (I speak from experience, as you can probably tell) and then some from not surviving the potting on/waiting period. But most will and how much fun to be developing a new space with them.

    Despite the move there is still lots flowering in your current garden. I love the daffs and trilliums nodding in the wind. Best of luck with the contracts & I look forward to seeing the new garden on the blog soon-ish (ish, because I know blogging won't be your first priority on moving...)

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    1. Thanks for your well-wishes Julieanne, but this post was written nearly 3 weeks ago, since then so much has happened - I am in hospital with a dislocated hip replacement!
      I wrote a post on the 15th this month, with an extra note at the bottom to explain....I have no idea how I am going to move house now.

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