How to make a temporary/moveable garden

[KatyMac]

We are (hopefully) moving into a house with a largish patio & a largish completely empty garden

In the next few years we are hoping to build an extension where the patio is

So we need moveable planters and ideas for things that we can easily transplant or shift

Im guessing no pagoda or anything structural

So ive seen platforms on wheels you can put planters on - but does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I would keep it simple and just get a bunch of pots and group them together, they can look really effective, especially if you plan for year around blooming. Buy bedding plants and bulbs in bulk and you can grow them on in pots ready to move on when you have permanent beds for them.

Where are you going to have the patio when the existing one is built over?

Just a bit further down the garden, so i dont want to plant there as it will have to be dug up

& tbh I dont want 20 foot of blank concrete and a new patio there for xxx years

You could definitely pick something like one of these styles and make a lovely sitting area with planters and outdoor furniture. Have a look when you’re out and about, cafes often have this kind of arrangement for their outdoor furniture to demarcate and furnish areas, pick a style that you like and then search for similar

I like to reconfigure my garden for a change and our soil is rubbish so everything is in pots.

Whats worked well here is using very big plastic pots for plants but having nice, wooden ‘covers’ for them (essentially a planter with no bottom that we just put around the plastic pots. My dad and DH built them out of decking).
Between those and a plant mover trolley thing,
everything is moveable but nice looking.

I guess im worried about the wheely platforms because children could push them

But putting a box around them might reduce that

I like the planters with the trellis attached

Thanks

I also vote for big pots and planters (you can build your own!). Just beware of wooden planters because if they are filled with soil the bases can rot surprisingly quickly which makes moving difficult unless you line them with plastic first (which ruins the drainage). What about some of the planting tables you can buy?
https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/forest-garden-deep-root-1-8m-planter?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=22794359253&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22794360894&gclid=CjwKCAjw46HPBhAMEiwASZpLRE8_QXUQDxjTBRsUp6YHqY8bMFyY0UP4INLwacWdI9NFOe1v2RqyRRoCl9AQAvD_BwE

I had something similar once and bought the big wooden planters. Then I filled with gravel and then I put plants in still in pots. You can repot anything that needs to as you go. I had small children so wanted stuff off the ground. Pretty easy to move after.

I think you are way overthinking this.

Wait til you get moved in first.

And then just put things in pots.

@Shedmistress almost certainly yes, but it's not as i have given myself permission to overthink this

It's small, not to expensive and actually doesn't matter too much - if I dont have a project to manage it think of all the larger, expensive and important things I have to plan and become overwhelmed so im sticking with this

I'll probably use polystyrene in the bottom of some pots to help with weight

Then you can't reuse the soil.

I can keep it separate from the soil or maybe split the pots into 2 somehow to reduce soil weight (with a void?)

Back in the day polystyrene was the way to go but let's be fair i havent really gardened in decades

With a sack truck you can move very big pots so just plant what you want as you aren't planning on moving them regularly. When it comes to moving you can do some more overthinking planning the move on squared paper 🙂.

I have looked at the planters on wheels but not taken the plunge yet as can't convince myself it would work - I want to have planters on a driveway which I can occasionally move to accommodate a visitor car. In your situation I think it would be overkill (and probably a bit dangerous as children will be excited to try and move them). You sometimes see planters on wheels in public places secured with a bike lock.

OP we have been/are doing very similar. We bought a derelict property with a completely overgrown garden- 20yrs of growth! We're a few years in and now have grass and a patio, but no borders/trees as yet.

I've been growing things in pots and trough's. Some are things I will eventually put into the beds and have been growing on from cuttings or cheap garden centre plants. I'm still very much a beginner, but my tips:

-Plastic pots are lighter to move around, but those bell shaped ones tip over easily in the wind. Especially if there is a taller plant in them like a bay tree/rosemary etc.
-Last week lidl had those little, wheely trollies for pots. DH made ours with leftover wood from the house. We bought wheels from screwfix and on each trolley he put a wheel which has a brake so we can lock it in place to prevent them moving around. Depending how old your children are that might be an option. B&M might also sell them but I'm unsure if they'd have a locking wheel.
-Get the largest pots you can because they will dry out less and need less often watering
-Most autumns, suttons and other places sell spring bulbs. I used bulb baskets in my troughs so I can move them to the borders once built.