Moving plants

[user1471530109]

Hi everyone,

I'm very new to gardening and moved into a house about 3 years ago with a huge to me garden.

I went out the first summer and bought some plants. One of which was a mophead hydrangea but it really doesn't seem to have grown at all in three years. It's tiny. Its on an East facing fence and is honestly the size as when I bought it. It does flower every year and I can see it has some new green buds showing just starting now.
I'd like to move it I think. It's quite close to the house and I think the north west facing house has it in shadow between October and March. Do you think it's ok to move now? I'm thinking front south facing garden, also on an East fence, or behind the small wall right at the front of the garden. It's clay soil though!

I'm also considering moving a green globe Hebe as it's grown too tall at the front of one of the borders in the back garden. I've no idea how long it's been there. Are they difficult to move? Also a couple of buddleia to the back of the garden to cover next-doors fence that is basically very open.

I also planted loads of bulbs last year and not happy with where I planted them. The gladioli are far too tall for where I've put them. If they pop up this year, do I move them after they've flowered, or when they first pop up?

The garden is lovely but very small, low level green shrubs. Lots of perennials though. I want to create more height and colour and privacy. I've bought a fair few plants this spring already and they are still unplanted as I keep changing my mind where to put them! They will be ok unplanted for awhile won't they? Including an apple tree and an amelanchier?

The mop head could be a small variety. I have several and one is a smaller variety and hardly puts on any growth.
I’d move the gladioli now before they start sprouting, or wait until they finish flowering.
The hebe might have well established roots, you could try one first. They are easy to take cuttings from, but that would have to be done in late spring/ summer.
I’m not sure how a Buddleia would enjoy being moved, depends how large and established it is.

One of my mopheads is against the north wall of the house, so it gets no sun ever. Admittedly it's still small, like 3ft high after 30+ years. The other is a big beast, about 2m high, south facing but shaded to the W by the house extension, to the E by a mature beech tree and to the S by a fig (and previously a 10ft bay tree). So whetehr it's the lack of sun stunting yours I don't know.

Apple tree and Amelanchier will be fine unplanted if they're in containers, provided you keep them watered, If they're bare-root, heel them in to a slit in the soil that you've made with your spade full-depth.

Thank you both.
The gladioli are all randomly in different places along with lots of different bulbs. I think I'd have to wait until they've finished flowering in the autumn to move now, to be sure I'm moving the right thing! I think I read that they often don't sprout more than one year?

The mophead it teeny tiny. 30cm high by 30cm wide ish. Maybe a big pot would be better? To see if it grows in the sun and then plant it properly later? Once I can see if I can find the best spot. Is that a bad idea?

The Hebe I am sure would have well established roots. There are 3 but at least 1 is in the wrong place imo. It's a very prominent bed but the whole bed is random planting and if I'm honest, needs a bit of re-jigging. I'm just nervous about making it worse!

The buddleia is only small and also doesn't seem to be doing well (different place compared to mophead).
Thank you both. I've spent the weekend making decisions then changing my mind. Doesn't help that I don't know what I'm doing . I've ordered a greenhouse and I've changed my mind at least 5 times this weekend as to where to put it!

Oh and the bare root tree was planted as soon as it was delivered. The others are all in pots.

That sounds a good idea, to have the mophead in a large pot for a while.

Agree with pp that it could just be a naturally small variety. But also fine to try moving it. However remember that water is v important to hydrangea ( it’s why their name starts hydra...) so regular water/ not too dry a spot is often as important as sunlight. My mother’s garden had some gorgeous huge mop heads in a really quite shady spot, but the soil was quite damp