If you guys have read this old post, you already know half of this story. For the rest of you, here we go. Way back in 2007, right before we got married – and before we even started this blog – my parents gave us a tiny Japanese maple. It was a little 24″ offshoot that had started growing near the large maple in their backyard. We planted the tiny little thing in our backyard, said a few plant prayers for it, and it grew a smidge in the 3+ years it lived there… though we don’t really have any photographic evidence of it.
Since it was meaningful to us – having some wedding significance and having come from my childhood home – we dug it up before selling that house and brought it with us when we moved to our second house. Perhaps you’re starting to see where this story is going.
Since our last move took place in the winter, we were almost certain that our transplantation efforts killed it. But much to our surprise, it survived…
… and even managed to grow a bit bigger, although you never really noticed it in photos because it got lost amongst some other purple bushes that grew in around it.
Since our last move, my parents have moved out of my childhood home making this little tree even more special to us. So of course we had to dig it up and bring it with us again, even if it’s not as little now. Note: dig up your plant before you put your house on the market since anything in the ground during showings is expected to convey unless you indicate that it’s coming with you in the contract.
Digging it up was pretty easy. I made a wide hole around it and then gently lifted and wiggled until it came loose. The root ball seemed to be pretty small, so I was able to fit it into a plastic bin that I had handy. It had become a bit heavier since its last move, which is how Sherry captured this not-so-flattering shot of me hoisting it up while getting a leaf to the eye.
We decided to move it over to the new house as soon as we dug it up – just so it wasn’t in the way during showings. It barely fit in our car, but barely works just fine for us. Even if it means Sherry has to ride in the backseat with maple leaves up her nose. We secretly wondered if other drivers would think we were cruising around with a giant marijuana plant in our car, just begging to be arrested. But no one stopped us. We’re not sure if we’re relieved or concerned.
It sat in our new backyard for a while (through showings and moving and us getting settled for a few weeks) and then we buckled down and said “we have to get this thing in the ground before we kill it” (we had drilled a few holes in the bottom of the bin for drainage but knew it wasn’t going to thrive in there forever). Finding a new spot for it was a little challenging because there are still so many question marks about our landscaping, but we decided this spot on the periphery of the woods that surround our deck is a safe bet. That way it’s visible from the house and has plenty of room to grow (unlike last time).
Now we just have to cross our fingers that transplanting it in the heat of summer didn’t kill it. We used some compost and some garden soil when we planted it – just to give it the best shot we could – and thanks to lots of rain lately, it seems to be doing ok so far.
Actually, our main worry has been the deer. Of which (if you’ve been following our Instagram) we see lots of lately. We know they like to eat some low-lying shrubs, but so far our maple seems unappetizing. I even caught this one giving it a sniff and then wandering off. Move along, little buddy. Move along.
Anyone else have success (or failures) transplanting things? Or do you have any sentimental items (flora or otherwise) that have made a few moves with you? We can’t believe this maple is now living in its 4th yard, counting my parents’ place where it was “born.” They grow up so fast. Single tear.
Kate says
You guys are so brave! We once transplanted a pomegranate to a different spot in our garden and learnt our lesson! We haven’t tried since! Mind you, we live in a very dry, hot area, so really should have seen this coming. Good on you!!
Helene says
What about something like this (http://backbaycharm.com/2013/02/24/on-trend-chevron-cravings/11-18/) for your stairs? Aaah! Would have been so cool!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I love that! I think I pinned it. I like that it’s every other stair instead of all of them.
xo
s
Julie in Provence says
Wonderful! I live in France but at my moms house in Milwaukee we have a tree that came from my grama’s house on the other side of town. It has thrived 50 years or so but recently split apart. The tree guy came and cabled it together and it wasn’t looking good at all but now mom tells me all is well and the tree seems to be at one with itself again (or something).
Loved your story and the pix. Long live your sweet tree!
:)
Anne says
My son & daughter brought home little six inch black gum tree twigs from Arbor Day at school when they were in kindergarten & 1st grade, desperate to plant these little trees. We stuck them in the front flower beds because I knew they wouldn’t survive. About seven years later I had to have them relocated to the backyard when they were like four feet tall. One got snapped during a baseball game in the backyard (obviously not a good location choice for the tree…) but the other one is probably ten feet tall! And those kids will be a freshman/soph in college next year.
Karyn says
Love it and totally understand it! I hope your tree grows strong and tall! We’ll be married 20 years this fall and moved 9 times since then. No, I didn’t take outdoor plants along on all those moves, but I have done it many times. This last move was sad because I had to leave a lovely white hydrangea but have discovered 4 white hydrangeas in the new place! I say it’s a gift from God because He knew how much I loved those flowers :) Yay!
Susan says
We have about a dozen English boxwoods from my husband’s grandparents’ house–they’ve moved with us three times now. I love those little plants…the last move almost killed them, but they’re making their way back even as we speak. Makes me think of our precious Mimi and Papa every time I see them…:)
Lori says
There are August Lilies (which seem to be rare these days – they get a gorgeous white flower) that have been in my family for a few generations. I think they go back to my great grandmother or maybe one more step back? It’s been a tradition in our family for years that whenever someone buys a new home, we transplant a few to the new place. Luckily, August Lilies transplant really well and spread like crazy. There are always more than enough whenever somebody needs some. And if we move, it’s perfectly okay to leave them behind. I love that our family does this, and it feels like a cool tradition and a bit of home to bring with us wherever we go.
Savannah says
During our wedding my husband and I planted a little oak sapling in a pot. I even wrote a little speach to be read about oak being strong and marriage etc. It was really cute. The whole plan was we would plant the sapling in our yard. Well a few months later he joined the military and we moved from GA to NY. We kept the sapling in the car for the drive but by the time we got housing and settled in it was too late :( Oh well..I have a picture of it on my wall haha
Katie says
Deer won’t touch the Japanese maple in summer when there is plenty to eat, but in winter, watch out! You might want to consider relocating it closer to the house.
Also – why didn’t you plant it right away after you dug it up, or transplant it earlier in the season?
YoungHouseLove says
We kept meaning to take care of it earlier, but with everything going on it was just one of those things that kept falling to the bottom of the to-do list.
-John
Sarah says
Just found http://gizoogle.net/ this morning. Do yourself a favor and search Young House Love on it. Made my day! LOL.
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious!
xo
s
susie l says
We dug up our rose bushes when we moved from the mountains of Virginia to North Carolina and put them in large flower pots. They existed for 3 years in these pots until we finally bought a house where we could plant them. I constantly dig up stuff from my mom’s and grandmother’s yards too. Lots of memories in all those plants!
Lee says
If you gather some hair (I know it sounds gross, but I have long hair and I know there is plenty of it on the bathroom floor after I blowdry…) off the bathroom floor and sprinkle it around the plant, it will keep deer away since it smells like human. A little weird but might be worth the protection!
Courtney says
We had to put my dog down last month. She was 14 years old and I got her when I was 11. In memory of her we planted a maple tree in the backyard that we can enjoy over the years to come and remind us of all the great memories we have of her. There’s a beautiful Maple Tree Farm by our house so we thought that would be a great way to honor her memory! One day when we move, we too plan on taking that tree with us!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw Courtney I’m so sorry for your loss.
xo
s
Mary says
I was given a “Blushing Bride” hydrangea by my cousin at my bridal shower – an awesome shower gift! – then my mother gave us a blue hydrangea when our 1st son was born. When we put our house on the market, I made sure the realtor knew those were coming with us! We sold our house and lived with in-laws for 6 months before finding our new house. Thank goodness my mother not only has two green thumbs, but 8 green fingers as well, and our hydrangeas are doing beautifully in her yard. Especially since even though we’ve been in our new house for a couple of months, I couldn’t begin to figure out where to put them. After getting rid if about 100 overgrown shrubs surrounding the house (no exaggeration) and some trees, we still have a bunch of overgrown crazy plant areas and a dirt yard. And although our house is a Cape, it is surprisingly like yours, Petersiks…blue trim everywhere (I almost cried when I saw your sprayer), 70’s wall paper, carpet so beyond its life that things may have been living in it, and crazy compartmentalized bathrooms (like getting ready in a sardine can). So needless to say, I am watching for new posts more closely than ever! I am anxiously awaiting posts on the remaining wall paper removal…..
Kathy says
Hah! Our family is wild for carrying things with us from old houses – from rocks to shrubs and trees!
I have learned the hard way not to leave notes for my gardening helpers, notes like: put the lavaterra in by the second post from the gate and the cecil breunner over by the berries….as he didn’t know what a cecil b. was nor a lavaterra and they got mixed up. Many deer munches later (on the rose) and I got his help again to move them to right spots where they are thriving.
Now, to get the curly willow I grew from a sucker to be moved, again, to a spot where my more knowledgeable gardening friends say it needs to go. I might just get this right one day!
Charlene Maidenford says
I had to take with me my grandmothers hostas.I live in a condo and planted the in some pots.
Sheryl says
Not sure if any of the comments addressed this but we live in northern NJ and in the winter (not spring, summer or fall…)the deer do eat the maple leaves – but they always come back in the spring!
Heather Hagstrom Carey says
Love this post! My grandparents lost their house after my grandfather had to stop work to battle cancer, my mother who has passed and I grew up in the house and I was torn when I found out. My grandmother brought as many of her flowering plants as she could to be planted at my first house. Love knowing that they will be here for years to come. :-)
Rachel May says
Cher might be the next Cherdog (picture the “c” as a cents symbol – I’m not that savvy.
Maybe it’s time for a jam session! I wonder if she does home improvement projects? That might be why she wrote that song – If I could turn back time, If I could find a way…maybe I’d have picked a different tile that daaaaay!”
Love your blog. Makes my days brighter.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahh!
xo
s
Katie says
BEST TITLE EVER.
sherree says
We have traveling Flowers. My mom moved in 2008 from MI to VA. She potted a bunch of flowers. She passed away 1 day before buying her home. My daughter kept some of those flowers in their pots. Then my daughter moved before planting them. I inherited them and didn’t plant them. We moved 3 hours away from old house. Now they sit here waiting in their pots for the next move (we have our small home for sale to move into a little larger home. Final destination: Unknown! I Love your Story.
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
We have the worst luck with trees! And we haven’t even tried to transplant them (other than from the nursery into our yard). We’re on our 4th tree in the same spot and I’m hoping after bringing this guy home in the front seat of my new car and sticking out the sunroof it’s the last tree we plant there!
shar y says
I love transplanting plants to take to new place although I have not done so in awhile. Don’t be alarmed if some of the leaves get brown and drop before it is time. It’s just stress and it should releaf perrectly come next spring!
yobo says
that’s lovely!
i actually have a silver maple in my front yard that i brought from New Hampshire in a white pot.
we moved a lot when i was little, and the tree was some helicopters i planted in a small pot when i was 4 or 5. it came with us on the many (many) moves of my childhood, and taking care of it was my responsibility.
when we moved into our current house, we had no intention of moving, so we planted it in the ground. it’s 20 years later, and taller than the 2-story house, now. i’m quite fond of my (now not-so-) little tree, and when i move out, i plan on taking some helicopters from it and planting them, to continue the tradition on my own.
–yobo
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Christina G says
My mom has done this with a little pine tree an uncle gave her and my dad when they were first married (35 years ago). She’s moved the tree 4 times, and it’s still growing! We transplanted it about 4 years ago to a more sunny location, and it really took off… it’s now over 30′ tall! My mom also planted trees for each of her children and it’s so fun now to see “my tree” and how much it’s grown since I was born. Might be a fun tradition for Clara!
Kelli says
OMG!You have deer! I’m so excited you have wildlife! Go with your wild animal photographing skills! BTW house is looking awesome!
Katherine says
This is awesome. My parents were given a Japanese maple the day of my naming, 30 years ago. It moved through four yards as well and is thriving. And is also featured in a prominent viewing-from-the-kitchen position. Good luck with the transplant.
Kate C says
You know, a few years back some friends of mine bought a house with 3 lovely Japanese maples growing in the yard and the sellers yanked them! The sellers did not indicate that the plants didn’t convey, so technically the sellers were in breech of contract and the agents had to do some fast talking to sooth things over with my friends. Those puppies are expensive!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that’s sneaky of them to think they could take them without clearing it first!
xo,
s
Christina says
My parents got a rose bush from my dad’s mom when they got married. They started life out in a little trailer with just the two of them. They saved their money and built their dream home where they’ve lived for nearly 30 years. They brought the rose bush with them and every year it blooms so beautifully! They now have a farm and I hope they take the big rose bush with them. My grandmother has passed, but it would be such a great remembrance of their start! Awww I just love it!!
Gabi says
People have been giving me plants from their yard the last few months. They say things like “be careful, it’s very invasive” and “watch it carefully, it will take over.” So I bring it home ready to maintain and watch and be careful. And then… it dies! Maybe it will come back next year? Part of the problem is that our house gets full sun most of the time and despite my best watering efforts, the plants just aren’t used to getting scorched! So really hoping that next year I will have a rockin yard full of resilient flowers :).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, I don’t mean to laugh, but you told that story so well. Curveball! They die! Haha. I hope next year is the year for you!
Gabi says
It’s totally a funny situation. Now when people tell me how pesty a plant is, I say, “we’ll see”.
Thoughts du Jour says
So sweet! We have several family plant stories. I had a cherry tree that was given to me when I was born that still grows in the house where I lived the first five years of my life. I’ve only been back to see it a few times.
My brother received a hibiscus bush for his birthday from my grandparents when he was little and my parents moved it from one house to another across town; however, when we moved “far far away,” it was too big to come with us. It did have some little tiny offshoots that we were able to save and bring with us, though! Yay for those!
Finally, I have some foliage that rooted and is growing in a mason jar from the flowers my husband had put in my bridal room the morning of our wedding — still going strong over a year later! We joke that it’s our love fern; when we buy our first house, I plan to plant it in our yard — and you better believe that little guy is going to come with us wherever we go!
Bree Palmer says
I have had a little tree since I was about 10, his name is Arby and he has had many adventures.
when I first got him it was for arbor day and i took great care of him (so i thought) but he died and my parents not having the heart to let me believe he died went out and bought a new one and never told me !! I didn’t know he wasn’t the original until about 3 years later anyways he was still Arby non the less and he has traveled in the back of my Grandpas car from Calgary Alberta, to Lindsay Ontario… then from Lindsay to Wasaga Beach where he is for now until I buy a house and my Mom said I have to take him cause if he gets to big he will be a problem where he is! hopefully he survives that move as well!!
haha
Donna Huebsch says
I hope your little guy thrives in his new location! We are the king and queen of bad transplanting…we moved some tea roses from our old house. They had come from a plant at my sister’s, which had come from a plant at my grandmother’s. Unfortunately, the clippings sat in a pot and withered up before we got around to planting them.
There was also a huge rose bush at out new house which had gotten very unruly by the front door. In a fit of impatience, we decided to transplant in the heat of the summer – not our best idea ever…it is now a mass of dried up brown leaves and sticks :o(