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Moving house, moving your plants

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Robust perennial: Hellebore

Perennials such as hellebores have a tough crown containing plenty of energy reserves. This means you can cut the leaves back when moving the plant and they'll soon resprout after transplanting. Also suitable for Ferns, hardy fuchsias, lupins, herbaceous geraniums, papavers, peonies, many other herbaceous perennials.

1. Cut back the leaves, taking care not to damage the buds at the base. Water well before lifting. If it's a large clump, you can divide it as you lift.	2. Place in an old compost bag, with added drainage holes. Fill around the rootball with compost and keep well watered. Transplant within a few weeks.

Strap-leaved perennial: Libertia

Plants with strappy leaves, such as this Libertia grandiflora, can be split into small clumps and tightly wrapped in polythene for easy transportation. They should survive like this for up to a couple of weeks, as long as you make sure the roots don't dry out. Also suita ble for Crocosmias, ginger lilies, irises, red-hot pokers, sisyrinchiums, phormiums, various ornamental grasses, many robust herbaceous perennials.

1. Dig around the plant, then lever the rootball out of the ground, taking care not to pull the leaves from the crown.	2. If it's a large clump, you can divide it into several smaller ones. Replant at least one clump for the new owners to enjoy.	3. Cut a 40cm-wide strip from a sheet of polythene and lay the plant on it at one end. Add some multi-purpose compost.
4. Fold the lower section of polythene over the bottom of the roots to hold the loose compost firmly in position.	5. Roll the polythene tightly around the roots and the base of the plant, allowing the leaves to stick out at the top.	6. Tie garden string around the top and bottom of the polythene to hold it in place and keep the clump together.

Leafy exotic: Hardy banana

The huge leaves of tropical plants like this hardy banana can easily get damaged in transit, and they wilt quickly if allowed to dry out, so even though it looks rather drastic, it's best to cut the leaves in half. Also suita ble for Agapanthus, cannas, crinums, gunneras, phormiums, rheums, yuccas, zantedeschias.

1. Use a pair of scissors to cut back the large leaves by half their length. This reduces the surface area and limits water loss. Dig around the plant, about 15cm from the main stem, to sever all the roots.	2. Lift the plant, holding the stem low down to minimise damage. Pot up into a large container, such as this trug bucket, using multi-purpose compost. The handles on these buckets make lifting easier.

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