They need to put in a new gas meter at my house. They will need to dig up an area about 5' by 5'and that area contains my two large Great Expectations and on Lakeside Beach Master, all are at least 10 years old. They will replants them but at best it will set them back 2-3 years

So sad for you. They make such a mess. I'm have some work done here and also had to move a few hosta and hellebore. At least its still cool out and maybe they will not stress to much. Is it hot down your way Paul?

Wishing you the best of luck. Those pics are so nice, it is brutal to uproot them that have been there for so long. Many times workers are not gardeners and do major damage

I would dig them up, put them in a cardboard box with some soil and water them well. Set in the shade and when they are completely done, I'd replant them myself. You know what your mama always said 'want something done right, do it yourself'. Most people would be in a hurry and don't know anything about how to plant them anyway. If they are too deep, the crowns will rot and the plant will be lost.

But you already know all this

on plants that are that old I wouldn't let them touch them!! do the digging yourself.

I had thought about having my son dig them but they are growing over a natural gas line and I would be concerned about hitting the line.

My thoughts are with those above. How high above the gas line are they? If you don't dare dig them yourself, then I would plan to be there to supervise when they are dug. Good luck.

I don't know how far below the roots that the gas line is. I bought my first GE's many years ago as tissue cultured plants. At that time they had a reputation of being impossible to grow but even as small plants they are so attractive that I had to have some. They are slow growers but attractive at every stage so they are worth the space. I do have 2 other GE's in another bed that are getting mature.

Paul,

Maybe you could contact the gas company to find out how deep the line is? If possible, then dig up your plants yourself. So sad that you have to move your beautiful plants, but I'm sure with your green thumb they'll be beautiful and lush in no time!

Good luck!

Thanks for your concern everyone, A friend and i are going to a large Hosta nursery in Salt Lake City Monday which is lifting my spirits a little.

Paul, will you get pictures of this nursery on Monday?
Good point Rose!

I plan on taking lots of pictures Monday. I hope it is over cast so the light is good for picture taking. If you are interested google Hosta House in Salt lake City. There are some pictures that will give you and idea of what a nice nursery it is. I wish he would post more pictures. One thing I really like is buying plants established in a container. Also they have some cultivars in several sizes. If you want to spend less and invest the time buy a small plant. If you have a special spot you want to fill splurge and get a more mature plant.

Another picture of the Hostas whose time is limited.

The Hosta House looks amazing! What a great concept of buying plants out of a display garden.

I hope I can show some restraint Monday.......I'm so out of room.

It would be very hard to not over buy. Good luck, they look like perfect plants and such a variety!

You act like its the end of the line for those hostas, I'll admit I don't have that one, but I've never met a hosta that I could kill!

Just take a spade and pop them out, the gas company will tell you that the gas line is atleast 18" deep, I've never seen a hosta get close to that depth!
As long as you leave the backhoe in the garage, you won't hurt that line, that's why they use steel pipe!

Just to prove a point, I dug a few hosta last October, knocked the soil off, and tossed them out into the field... Done landed upside down, and every which way, I never moved them after that, they set their feet and haven't slowed down...
Mind you this was a record breaking winter here...
They are much tougher than most people give them credit for

Gas lines are 'supposed' to be 18 inches deep here too, but I can tell you, especially for older homes that some lines are not nearly that deep. It can be dangerous to hit one. That being said, they are tough, so gentle hand digging will suffice, just pay attention. If you run into the line, just dig around it. My hosta don't root very deep anyway and if you do cut quite a few roots, it will not hurt the hosta, the important thing is to not damage the crowns. You can even wrap them in wet newspaper for a few days-just lay them in the garage or utility room until you re-plant them. They will not look like anything again this year probably, but I bet next year, you will not even know they were messed with.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.........many of us gardeners want everything to be just perfect. Many parts of my yard are a nightmare while other area look nice.....

Paul2032 said:Thanks everyone for your kind comments.........many of us gardeners want everything to be just perfect. Many parts of my yard are a nightmare while other area look nice.....

Join the club!

Gardens are always a work in progress! As such you have to balance between a "finished product" look and a trashy pile of pots...

I hide my staging area and pot mountain best I can... Still looks junky!

In my experience, if your really careful with the leaves, ( the crown is the important part, and it's easy to dig around) and take reasonable care of the uprooted plants, they won't look so bad when you replant them, and I doubt they miss a beat next year, you might even have nicer looking plants... I'm sure after 10 years they could stand to be divided and some fresh soil might help too.
They do look great, I'd be bummed about it too, but I can't think of any other garden plant that will handle this better than a hosta!

If it wasn't raining I'd go pull up one of the hunks of hosta I tossed on the ground, they really couldn't look much better...