Digging out and replanting borders

Hi there

One side of my garden is quite well established, the other looks as if it's never managed to get going, and is dry, patchy, yuck. I'm fairly new to gardening, and need some tips!

Although the ground is hard/dry/tough, if I actually don't want (& I largely don't) any of the plants on the yuck side, is it the wrong time of year to get a new border dug, and established? If there are plants I want to keep (I have some Lavenders and Rubella which are passable), is a move now completely the wrong time of year?

Thanks in advance for any tips or advice

Claudette

 

Yes, now is a bad time to try and move perennials. Better to wait until late autumn or spring. There are pros and cons for both times of the year - me, I prefer autumn as I think the soil is still warm enough for new or moved plants to settle in before winter.

 

You could if in a lot of compost on the 'yuck' side in preparation. Mushroom compost is cheap cheerful and readily available. It will help to retain moisture in the soil as well as feed the plants when you put them in.

 

As SussexG says autumn and spring are the best times for moving perennials. But there are two perennials you can move now, without cutting back, even when they are in flower, and they won't turn a hair. They are perennial Loblelia and Asters.

But I suspect that you can move others as well. If I get an idea, I tend to have a go at that time - rather than wait till the best time. :D If you want to move stuff now, I would dig it up with as big a rootball as you can. Small stuff can be put in a pot, but larger stuff can be put in a supermarket polybag with some added soil to cover any bare roots. I would cut off half the foliage, to reduce water loss, and store them in a shady area, and water at intervals. I have done this, keeping plants in a polybag for several months. Don't cut off all the foliage, as the plant will need some to start storing starches in the roots for next year before the winter sets in.

Its a wonderful opportunity if you can completely clear a bed. You can add loads of organic matter and plan the planting from scratch. Don't worry about leaving a bed fallow for a few months. It can help as if you constantly rake it, its an opportunity to get rid of all the weeds that keep trying to grow.