If you moved would you take your plants with you?

I would and I did. When my parents sold the house I grew up in I took several plants including hostas, ferns and a 50 year old peony tree. The people who owned the house before my parents had planted a magnificent garden and even though my parents didn't have great gardening skills, I was able to grow up surrounded by wonderful plants. I had to bring some of those memories with me. As for the peony tree - well, my instinct told me it wouldn't be appreciated by the new owners and I was right - they tore the house down and I'm sure destroyed the garden in the process. Now that tree stands proudly in my garden and is an interesting conversation starter when people see it in the midst of my pathetic garden.

I should note that other than the peony tree, the rest of the plants I took were split off of the main clumps so the garden didn't look trashed after I was done with it. You might want to take that into consideration when picking what you are going to take.

Or, if you want the whole clump, just put it down as something that isn't staying with the house. Like how people say certain light fixtures aren't included, you could do that with your plants.

We actually looked at a house where the owner had stated that the hostas were not staying with the house.

HTH

I would take plants - I agree that you should state that in the purchase info. Many things you can split though, and leave a little so the yard doesn't look trashed. I would definitely take my red currants and raspberries...I've worked too hard for them!

I close, (hopefully), on our house we're selling next week. I'm going to divide the plants - like sedum, that need divided and take small starts. They're ones I've collected from my in-laws former houses, our former houses, etc. Some are farm petunias that were from my dh's grandfather, and some rose moss from him. Those, I may have enough babies growing in pots, since they're probably not sprouting yet in the ground. If not, I know my MIL has some. This is spring clean-up I would do typically, and I think this will make the yard grow better for the buyers. (Many of the plants got too large last year and need splitting - didn't do much last summer as I was very pg.) You're supposed to leave the landscape plants, bricks, timbers, etc., but I think it's the responsible thing to do to leave the yard the way I would want it left for me. And, I did make sure, when we were negotiating, that they knew I would be taking a few important starts, like I just mentioned. I guess I should have put it in the contract, now that I think about it...

So, I would say, dig up what you want - the heirlooms, and put them in pots. They're not included in a contract. Or, specify in the listing that you will take starts from each plant.

I would. I may be moving across country. I'm not sure of the logistics, but I'd have to bring my plant babies with me. Leaving them behind would devastate me.

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I don't understand people. Who would rather have grass than beautiful flowers?

I would make sure the yard still looked nice, but I would definitely take a clump from most of my plants with me. Particularly my little blueberry bushes, since they came from my grandfather's lovely blueberry patch. And the rose that was my great-grandmother's. And the lilacs my dad bought me. And the irises that my MIL gave me. And my lilies......my lilies would never be left behind! Oh, and the astilbe and bleeding heart bushes. Ugh, despite the need for another bedroom I don't think I want to ever move!

When my parents put their house on the market Mom specified that the rose bush my brother gave her for mothers day was going with them.

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Just build an addition!

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We rent or I would! We do rent from family, though, so it may be a future possibility. And as long as we don't have any more kids we'll be ok. It's just that nagging voice in the back of my head that keeps saying it wants to have another child.

for 13 years i lived on the last five acres of my grandparents farm. i put in literally an acre + of flowering plants. when it was time to go (my dad sold the place out from under me, would not consider selling it to me), i took everything. first of all though, i had to make sure i bought a place big enough to accommodate my plants. i was able to get a two acre place. DH and i spent *a lot* of time and energy moving plants. i was also pregnant at the time. it was fall, and we didn't have a lot of time to arrange the plants as we would have liked to; rather he had to rototill strips around the edges of the property, and we sorta "dumped" (planted) there in no particular order.

now, three and a half years later, we are slowly relocating the plants once again, to their "permanent" locations here. the good news is that we have more daffodils than anyone in our neighborhood. they are really looking good. we had "instant gardens" as far as everyone in the neighborhood was concerned. we get a lot of compliments.

as for my old place, it was purchased by a park district and completely torn up. all of the plants would have been destroyed. it was well worth it to move them.

i know some gardeners who took a few special plants when they moved, and figured the rest would work itself out. i have also heard many stories about new owners not appreciating a garden and tearing it all out. personally i think that is fairly common.

if i were you, i would definitely put it in the contract that you are going to have the right to take your plantings when you go. if by some chance, a potential buyer really really likes your gardens and really really wants to keep them, they can still negotiate with you to try to get some of them left behind.

in short my answer to your question of if you should take them: heck yes!