you need to prepare a place to move them to before you dig them...as for id-ing them, either post pictures or find a friend who knows plants.
The best time to move them would be in the spring.
Linda C

Ah well, thanks. I'm not partial to any but the daisies. I think I identified a "jacob's ladder" today--and I don't really like them at all. There's another that may be a weed--or it may not.

In Spring--it doesn't look like there's anything there! How do I "find" them?

If you buy ice-cream in 2L or larger size plastic containers - they make useful temporary plant pots, as do large containers of yoghurt, margarine, or big plastic milk bottles (2 or 3L). Make holes by pushing through the plastic from the INSIDE of the container to the outside so the little frills of plastic don't make a drainage problem.

If the plants won't be there for long (about a month) then 'planting' them in your ordinary soil should be fine. (You'd have to use a regular potting mix for over-wintering as the soil might hold too much moisture and cause root rot.)

Dig up the clump, remove the weeds you know, have a layer of soil in the bottom of your prepared container (about 1"/2.5cm) and place the clump on top. Gently fill in the gaps around the edges with some more soil. Tap the container on the ground to settle the soil. Water well with a gentle spray and place the container in a cool spot with dappled light only. On gravel or concrete is a better placing than on grass or dirt.

If those emergency pots are too small - look for small laundry soakers or shallow vegie bins - about 4"/10cm deep. Make biggish holes in the bottom - at least four - about as fat as your thumb.

While the plants are up now put in a plant stake that even the most determined bird cannot haul out. If you put in tall ones PLEASE put a little pot or a tennis ball over the top to protect your eyes. Old aluminium tent pegs can be useful, too. Or strips of venetian blinds - at least six inches long so there is plenty in the ground.

As well - take photos - and be sure there is something 'permanent' in each picture so you can orient yourself later on. (Guess who wanders the garden paths muttering, 'Where was I when I took this?!!)

If you have time - put a diagram in your garden diary, too.

You don't say what sort of daisies you have. Federation daisies should be fine in the heat. Also Arctotis and Gazania - though I suspect they're more annual with you than perennial. They all get a bit grumpy when the temperature heads toward about 5C - and they all need good light over winter, otherwise they get very leggy.

Thank you so much! I will begin collecting ice cream containers. Will bulbs be OK, this way too?

You can transplant into a pot, however, most bulbs would prefer to have you dig them up and spread out on newspaper until the outer covering is dry. Several ways to store, but using old nylon stockings works for all of them. Keep cool, dark, and dry. Most bulbs prefer to be planted in the fall, or you can fool them by keeping them in the refrigerator until planted. Gladiolias are the opposite, dig in the fall and plant in the spring and don't refrigerate.

If you don't know which is which, take a photo showing the leaves now, and with photo in one hand and the bulb itself in the other hand, you should be able to figure out what you have. The Web is wonderful! It's important to know what you've got so that you can plant the bulbs at the proper depth -- which can vary from 8" deep for lilies to an inch deep for crocus.

Thanks. The bulbs will wait for now. I've found some Hostas and lady's slippers (I think). Both spreading, both miserable. I put them in a large 3x3 washtub, for now.