The cannas can definitely be moved now safely. Dig up the rhizomes and divide them. Also, trim off any dead portions (will look dark brown or black and might be mushy). You wil be able to tell where the new alive growth is because there will be a point coming out the side where the new shoot will be. Replant them with their roots just slightly under (1/2 inch) the top soil level. I think hydrangea can also be moved safely as the new growth has not started yet if you water it well and dig up most of the roots. I would add compost to the location where it is going. I have always moved mine in the fall, though. Regarding the iris, if it is a Louisiana or yellow flag iris or blue flag iris now is not the best time to move them because they are actively growing and will bloom in a few months. They are dormant in the summer and start to grow again in the fall. The fall is a better time to move them, but they are pretty tough and should survive if you move them now in big clumps with lots of dirt and don't disturb the roots and water them well. If they are dutch iris, wait until they bloom and the foliage dies to the ground to move them. I can't help you with the asparagus fern. Regarding the long blooming perennial, it depends on whether you want a naked space in the winter. My favorite perennial is the daylily. I have evergreen varieties which stay green year round. I plant them in between Indian hawthorns, dwarf pittosporum and dwarf hollies. If you get them with different bloom times you can have color from spring through frost. Check out Oakes Daylilies which is a gardenwatchdog.com top ten company. For summer color all summer long I like hardy cane begonias and Mexican heather and lantana. (They bloom from summer to frost and die to the ground.) There are nice low growing antique roses which bloom several months out of the year (check out Antique Rose Emporium and Chamblees) that are low maintenance and are easy. Some azaleas bloom several months out of the year.

Wow, lisa455.......you are a host of information. I wish I was that knowledgable. Thank you so much for your help. You gave me very good information.

sipaddy,
I transplanted my Hydrangea last week, it was also getting
to much sun.
I am going to put humming bird vine in the spot.
This hydrangea managed to live thru the summer months
here, in that sunny location.
I transplant everything, anytime I get the urge to put
something new out.
I am forever moving plants from one location to another.
Call it ignorace or pure luck, but I have never killed
anything yet!
Lori

I wish I was so lucky......when we first moved into our house, I tried to move several indian hawthornes from the front of the house to the side. I killed every one of them and they had been here for years. I don't know what happened? So now I am very skeptical about moving things, (besides the fact that my husband fusses when I ask him to help me move them). (: