Rule #1 for transplanting: Check carefully for wildlife before you dig something up!

We are hoping to add a carport beside our garage, and we're doing other work which will mess up everything in the yard, so 2 clematis vines and a few perennials beside the garage need to be moved. Yesterday morning I prepared a spot for the vine and carefully dug up the smaller of the 2 clematis (what's the plural of clematis? cleamatises? clematae? let's not go there...). I carefully shifted it and the trellis it is entwined on at the same time (quite proud of myself at this point, I might add) and got it settled into its new home. To be honest, I doubt they'll move successfully, but you can always try. Gardens will make liars out you more often than not!

I went on to a few other chores in the same area, and I noticed a little bird hopping along the fence, flying to the remaining clematis and looking rather doubtfully at the bare spot, and just generally hanging around in a confused - looking state. I had the sudden awful thought about baby birds, said something along the lines of *?!!%*@, and checked the transplanted vine but found nothing. Heaved a sigh of relief, but thought better safe etc. etc. and suggested my husband check too, and, of course, the first spot he checks has a tiny nest with 3 even tinier babies in it!

I said something along the lines of *?!!%*@ again, and we carefully moved the vine back. I'm sure some neighbours somewhere were enjoying the show. I'm happy to report that after a tense hour or so 'MOM' found the nest again and is busy doing the feeding thing as I write. I felt like a snake for the rest of the day.

So, check again and again before you move something once the leaves are on the plant!

After that, the rest of transplanting is easy.

Spring is definitely the best time to transplant things as they are starting to come back to life but haven't geared up completely, the weather is still cool but warming up (that's the theory anyway, I know most of the country hasn't really had that), and the plant will have lots of time to grow in the new spot and get ready for winter. They are usually smaller (and therefore lighter) too.

But you can transplant later in the season if needed. I've moved a shrub on the hottest day of a really hot July, and while I thought I'd die before I finished, the shrub didn't even wilt! The trick? Note, in my vine fiasco entry, I mentioned "I prepared a spot for the vine, then dug the vine up". Exactly!