I think we need a few more details: when are you moving? how far away? how will the plants be transported? and, most importantly - which plants?

Many perennials take moving right in stride as long as they are dug when dormant and planted into a new home which provides all their needs (climate, soil, light). Shrubs can be a pain to move (both for the plant and for the gardener) since they have a more extensive root system -- however, taking cuttings is easy and efficient, but should have been done in late spring so as to use 'soft wood'. Some plants (such as baptisia) will not tolerate any attempt to move, often due to having a long taproot; so we really need to know which specific plants.

BTW, most daisy-types are soft perennials, and can be moved at almost anytime as long as their roots are not too disturbed (this means digging a large rootball which is heavy to transport); however, it is much easier to let the perennials go dormant, and then dig up and gently remove most excess soil; pack into moist sawdust and then transport. In all cases, the plants should be replanted as soon as possible into their new home, or into pots or a holding bed while the new bed is being prepared.

The first consideration should be what's in your Purchase & Sales Agreement. I'm assuming you own your home & are selling it to move to another house. If you're renting, the situation would be similar but would depend on your landlord. The issue is that plants are considered a permanent part of the property &, unless described as otherwise in the contract, remain with the property. If you have not provided for moving your plants in the contract and the new buyer is unhappy w/your digging up the landscaping they've just bought...they would have a legal right to back-out of the P&S Agreement. So, if you've already considered all that...then it depends on what type of plants you are moving. Most will move quite easily provided they are given proper care and put in the ground at your new home very quickly. As a general rule of thumb, there should be six weeks before your first normal frost date when you do fall transplanting. Since you've not provided more info on exactly what you'd like to move it's hard to be more specific. In general, plants that bloom in the spring move quite well in the fall but those that bloom late summer to fall do better when transpanted in the spring. But, there are few hard & fast rules w/gardening and we've all transplanted things under less than optimum cirumstances and had them survive.

yes, you can move perennials- if they are well established clumps (haven't been moved in oh, say 3 years) you will even do them a favor by digging them up, and 'dividing them' (cutting the root ball in half)

I like using a garden fork to lift plants, but I'm a big strapping girl who can lever small trees out of the ground that way- a spade is easier for most people. shake off the worst of the dirt, and split the stems down the middle to give you a clear path to cut along. you can do it with the spade, a machete, or with a cheap knife from the dollar store. half the plant goes back in the hole- the other half gets wrapped in damp newspaper, and tucked in a bucket (or a rubbermaid storage bin, or a trash bag if it's all you have) with some mulch around the ball.

ideally, they should get back in the ground as soon as possible, and some plants are more fragile than others...spiderworts, for instance, can sit utterly bare-rooted for two weeks with no ill effects (I've done this, I might add) wheras most plants really need their roots kept damp, and want to be replanted in 3-5 days.

I like to do my transplanting on cloudy days (rainy ones, actually- but I'm a water baby, myself) so there's less stress on things. take each plant, and set it where you want it to go. then, dig a hole a little bit deeper, and at least twice as wide as the root ball. fill the hole with water, and toss in a double handful of compost or last year's leaves. if the water sits in the hole for more than half an hour- you have heavy clay soil, and will eventually want to start either working mulch into the soil- or building the bed up above 'ground level' to improve drainage for the plants.

otherwise- the water will drain, you drop the rootball in, adjust it so that the plant is about as deep as it was in its old home, backfill, water deeply, back fill again (settling will occur) compact grntly (with hands, not feet) and mulch :)

it sounds like a lot- but it's simpler when you've got shovel and plant in hand.

Lots of good advice.

I would heed Tricia's warning about making sure it's OK for you to take the plants as per the Purchase and Sale Agreement. I moved in 2001, and took most of the gardens with me, but had an agreement with the buyer of our old house.

Try to dig out the plants as close to the moving date as possible, making sure the roots are kept moist. On moving day, make sure they are the last to go in the vehicle which you are using to move so that they can be the first to come out. When you arrive at your new place, place all the plants in a shady area until you have time to place them in the ground. Keep them watered, and when you get them in the ground, give them a good soak. At this time of year, it's not a good idea to fertilize, but amending the soil with good compost and mulching lightly is fine. Then when the weather turns colder, mulch a bit more.

Have fun and good wishes in your new home!

These are my plants I bought them and planted every thing here myself, they didn't as much as have a dandelion lol. Im only taking 3 of them I just planted them this spring. Thanks for all the replies. Im only moving 15 min. away from here, to another town. Just a hop skip and a jump away.