Oh yes, it's definitely playing
I too move things at all the wrong times, and they might look a little unhappy for awhile, but then they recover and show me that they like their new home. I have even moved some shrubs, like smaller hydrangeas. That's a lot more work though
Most perennials that I grow are quite tolerant of my abuse. In fact, sometimes I think that they do better with anything from benign neglect to abuse. The things I mollycoddle seem to almost resent it sometimes.
And yes, I do talk to my plants.....