My Small Moves for Garden Lovers in Salt Lake City – Tubac Presidio State History and Tech Blog

I started thinking about this very simply: if you love gardens and parks in Salt Lake City, and you are moving, then every choice you make should protect that part of your life, not put it on hold. That is what I mean by “small moves” here. Not just hiring a company with the name My Small Moves, but also the small personal decisions that let you keep your plants, your favorite tools, and even your park habits, while everything else is in boxes.

So this is not a big theory of moving. It is just a set of small, practical habits and thoughts that helped me not lose my connection to plants and green spaces while changing homes inside Salt Lake City. Some of them are a bit messy. Some are maybe too careful. But together they form a quiet way to move without feeling like you are starting from zero as a garden person.

Keeping your garden habits alive during a move

One thing I learned during my last move is that the biggest risk is not that your plants will die. It is that your whole garden routine will disappear for months. You get busy, you are tired, and suddenly you are not the person who checks the soil in the morning anymore.

So I tried to protect the habit first, not the stuff. That changed how I planned things.

If you protect your gardening routine first, your plants and tools tend to follow along quite naturally.

Here are a few small moves that helped me stay in a “garden mindset” even when I was surrounded by cardboard:

I kept one small tray of plants by a sunny window and refused to pack it until the last day.
I still went for short walks in local parks twice a week, even when it felt like I should stay and pack more boxes.
I packed my gardening gloves, pruners, and a hand trowel in my personal overnight bag, not in a random box.

Those choices look minor, maybe even fussy, but they kept plants in my daily field of view. So when I reached the new place, it did not feel like “someday I will garden again.” It felt like I already was.

Salt Lake City as a garden background

Salt Lake City is not the easiest place to garden, but it is not the hardest either. The tricky part is the mix: dry air, hot summers, cold winters, and water rules that seem to change just when you get used to them.

You probably know some of this already if you love gardens here, but it helps to name it:

Local factor	What it means for your garden	What it means while moving
Dry air	Plants lose water fast; soil dries quickly.	Potted plants stress easily in transit; need extra watering before and after.
Summer heat	Midday sun can scorch leaves and roots in pots.	You have to time moves early morning or evening for plant safety.
Winter cold	Freeze can kill roots in containers.	Short outdoor exposure for tender plants; some may need to stay with you indoors.
Water rules	Less frequent deep watering works better than daily light watering.	New garden might need drought tolerant plants; do not bring every thirsty one.

I used to pretend I could bring everything and make it all work, but that was not honest. Views change when you have carried the same heavy pot across three porches in one week.

Choosing which plants actually move with you

I think this is the hardest part. It feels unfair to choose favorites. But carrying every pot, especially in Salt Lake City heat, is a quick way to burn out and then stop caring at all.

So I started using a rough set of questions. Not perfect, but more honest than “I will keep them all.”

Question 1: Does this plant have a story?

Some plants are just there. Others are from a friend, a parent, a trip, or a moment when you really needed to see something green.

When space and energy are limited, plants with stories deserve first place in the car, not in the moving truck.

If a plant reminds you of:

a person you care about
a season of your life that you do not want to forget
a success you had as a beginner gardener

then it probably belongs in the “keep and hand carry” group.

Question 2: Will this plant forgive a rough week?

Some plants are naturally tough. Others fall apart if you skip one watering.

If a plant:

has survived a hot weekend while you were away
has bounced back after being cut hard
has come back from winter looking stronger

then it is more likely to handle a car ride, a slightly late watering, and a few days of less than ideal light at the new place.

Finicky plants can still move with you, of course, but they need more care and attention at the same time you are tired from lifting boxes. I had to admit to myself that I would not magically become more careful during moving week. If anything, the opposite.

Question 3: Does this plant even match the new space?

This is the one I kept trying to ignore.

If you are moving from:

a shady yard to a bright balcony, or
a ground level garden to a small upstairs patio, or
a rental with sprinklers to a place where you are hand watering everything

then not every plant fits your future life. A big thirsty hydrangea that stole your heart might just suffer in a tiny, hot spot.

You can think ahead a little:

Sometimes the kindest move for a plant is to give it away before the move, not drag it into a place where it will never thrive.

I gave two large shrubs to a neighbor instead of forcing them into my new, sunnier, drier yard. I still feel slightly guilty, but less guilty than if I had watched them struggle.

Simple packing rules for garden people

Moving companies have neat systems for furniture and boxes. Garden things do not always fit that cleanly. Pots are heavy, fragile, and dirty at the same time.

Here is what worked for me, with a few tradeoffs.

Pots with plants vs pots without plants

You might think it is easier to leave every plant in its pot. I tried that once. It nearly broke my back and cracked two big containers.

Now I separate into three groups:

Group	What I do	Why it helps
Small pots with plants	Leave the plant in the pot; pack tightly in shallow boxes.	Prevents tipping; keeps roots more stable.
Big pots with plants	Move only a few favorites in their pots; lift with help or dolly.	Avoids injury and cracked pots.
Empty heavy pots	Remove soil; wrap in towels or old sheets; stack carefully.	Makes them lighter and protects from chips.

It is a bit messy to empty some pots, and I always tell myself I will re-use every bit of soil. I usually do not. I reuse part of it and top up with fresh mix later. That is not perfect, but it is more realistic than hauling every clump of dirt across town.

Tools and messy things

Garden tools are sharp, dirty, and oddly shaped. They do not like regular boxes.

What helped:

Wrap pruners and hand tools in an old towel, then tie the towel with string so nothing falls out.
Bundle long tools like rakes and shovels together with rope, so they move as one piece.
Use a sturdy plastic bin for soil bags, fertilizer, and random bits, instead of flimsy cardboard.

One small move I am glad I made: I washed and dried my main pruners before packing them. That way I did not open a box at the new place and find rust and old sap. It felt more like starting a new season, not dragging all my garden grime into a new yard.

Watering schedule around moving day

This is easy to misjudge. I once watered everything heavily the night before a move. The next morning every pot was twice as heavy, and half the soil was dripping out in the truck.

Now I use a simple pattern for potted plants:

Two days before: Water deeply so the roots take in what they can.
One day before: Skip watering, so pots are lighter.
Moving day morning: Lightly water only the small, fast drying pots.

Then I water everything again at the new place, once they are in roughly the right spot. It feels slightly risky to skip that one day, but I have not lost a plant from doing it. I have lost my patience from carrying wet, heavy pots, which is its own kind of damage.

Season by season moves in Salt Lake City

Not every move happens in perfect spring weather. I used to think I should avoid moving plants in summer and winter completely. That turned out to be unrealistic.

So now I just adjust the plan depending on the season.

Spring moves

Spring is the easiest, but also the most tempting to overdo.

Good things about spring moves:

Cooler weather means less plant stress.
New growth helps plants recover from small damage.
Soil is often moist, but not frozen.

Risks:

Plants are in active growth, so broken stems happen more easily.
You might rush to plant too much, too soon in the new yard.

What I try to do:

When moving in spring, I focus on getting plants safely into temporary positions first, and leave major redesign for later weeks.

I use simple holding beds or large nursery pots at the new place. Then, after I have watched the light and water patterns for a month, I move them again into more final spots.

Summer moves

Summer moves around Salt Lake City are brutal for plants and for people. The sun feels closer. Pot surfaces heat up quickly.

To protect plants during a summer move:

Move plants very early in the morning or in the evening, not at midday.
Cover plants in the car with a light sheet or cloth to reduce direct sun through the windows.
Have a shaded spot ready at the new place, even if it is temporary.

I also accept that some plants will look rough for a while after a hot day of moving. Droopy leaves are common. Many bounce back after a good drink and a few days of shade.

Fall moves

Fall is probably my favorite time to move perennials and shrubs. Temperatures drop, roots keep working, and there is less rush.

For fall moves, I:

Cut back leggy growth a little, so plants lose less water.
Plant a bit deeper around roots to protect from first frosts.
Mulch extra around the bases once they are in, since winter is coming.

You cannot fix everything before winter, so I focus on roots and basic structure. Pretty shapes and neat borders can wait until spring.

Winter moves

Winter moves are the messiest. I tried to avoid moving any plants in deep winter once, and still ended up haulings some.

In cold weather:

Keep plants in containers close to the house or in a garage, away from hard frost during the move.
Wrap pots in old blankets or cardboard if temperatures are very low.
Delay planting in frozen ground; keep plants in pots until the soil softens.

Trees and larger shrubs often do better if you move them while dormant, as long as their roots do not freeze solid out in the open for days. This part is a bit stressful, and I sometimes wonder if I should have left them, but most have pulled through if I protected the roots carefully.

Balancing home choice and garden dreams

If you care about gardens, the home you choose inside Salt Lake City matters a lot. Yet when you are scrolling listings or walking through rentals, it is very easy to focus on kitchens, closets, and views, and then tell yourself the yard is “good enough.”

I have done that. Then I spend the next year trying to work around a tiny north facing balcony that never sees enough sun.

So, now I bring a small mental checklist whenever I visit a new place.

Light and orientation

I quietly ask:

Where does the sun hit in the morning and afternoon?
Is there at least one area with 6 hours of sun for vegetables or sun loving flowers?
Is there some shade for ferns or hostas, or will I just cook everything?

I sometimes stand outside for a few minutes and imagine mid July heat. Slightly odd behavior, but better than guessing.

Water access

This sounds boring, but dragging watering cans across a parking lot gets old fast.

I look for:

An outdoor spigot or at least an easy path from the kitchen sink to plants.
Existing irrigation that actually works, not cracked pipes and broken heads.
Areas that collect water and might become mud pits or salt patches.

If water access is terrible, then either the garden will be small, or I will be tired all the time. I try to be honest about which of those will really happen.

Soil and hard surfaces

Many city homes have a mix of lawn, rock, and solid surfaces.

Things I check:

Is there any real ground, or just gravel and concrete?
Is the soil hard and compacted, or can I dig with a simple trowel?
Is there space for raised beds if the soil is poor?

If everything is concrete, that does not end the conversation. It just means more containers and maybe a different kind of garden.

Using Salt Lake City parks as your extended garden

No matter how careful you are, some homes will never have the garden space you want. That does not mean you have to give up on plants. It might just mean your “garden” is partly public.

Salt Lake City has quite a few parks, community gardens, and botanical spaces. Each time I have moved, I have quietly adopted one or two as part of my regular week.

Ways parks can support your garden life:

They act as outdoor classrooms where you see which plants survive local winters and summers.
They give you ideas for low water plantings that still look full.
They keep your sense of green space alive when your own yard is bare or under construction.

I used to feel a bit odd about this, like I was “cheating” on my own garden by loving public ones. That feeling faded when I saw how much calmer I was after an hour walking under mature trees, then going back to plan my tiny raised bed.

Sometimes the best small move for your personal garden is just to walk around a park and notice which plants are not struggling.

Starting small again in a new place

When everything is unpacked and your plants are more or less in place, there is this strange blank feeling. You remember how full your old yard looked, and your new one seems flat and temporary.

I always have an urge to buy a car full of plants and fix that in one weekend. Every time I have given in to that urge, I have regretted at least half the purchases.

So now I try to start small on purpose.

One corner at a time

Choose one area to care about first. Maybe:

a single flower bed along the walkway
a group of three containers by the front door
a small vegetable patch close to the kitchen

I give that corner real attention for a few weeks. I see how the light shifts, how the wind moves, and how much I actually walk past it in daily life.

Only after that corner feels alive do I move on to the next area. It is slower, but my mistakes are smaller too.

Reusing what you already own

It is tempting to buy all new pots and decor for a new space. New porch, new style. I understand that feeling, but it can snowball.

I make myself do three things first:

Group old pots by color or material, to see if any combinations look fresh.
Move plants into new pairings, like herbs with flowers, not just herbs with herbs.
Use simple items like bricks or overturned pots to add height before buying stands.

Often, just shifting what you already have can make the space feel new without spending much. Then, if I still want that one new big container, I have a better sense of where it belongs.

Letting some gaps stay empty

This part still bothers me. Empty patches of soil feel like I am “behind.”

But I have seen how rushed planting into every bare spot leads to:

plants in the wrong place that later need to be moved or removed
a mix of styles that never quite fits
more watering than I can keep up with in August

So now I leave some gaps on purpose. I watch how rain or sprinklers fall. I see where shade grows through the year. Then I fill the spaces more slowly.

Moving within apartments and shared spaces

Not everyone moving in Salt Lake City is dealing with a private yard. Many of us are in apartments, condos, or homes with shared outdoor space.

Garden life there works differently, but it still works.

Container gardens on balconies and patios

Balconies can be windy, hot, and small. But they can still hold a real garden feeling.

For balcony moves:

Choose slightly heavier pots so they do not tip in sudden wind.
Use deeper containers so roots have more stable moisture.
Group pots tightly so they create a small microclimate, with shared humidity.

When I moved from a ground floor to an upper floor, I thought I was “downgrading” my garden. In some ways I was. No more trees or big shrubs. But I grew more herbs and compact flowers than before, because I could see them up close every day through the sliding door.

Shared yards and common green areas

Shared spaces bring rules, and sometimes conflict. You cannot always plant what you want where you want. That can feel limiting.

Instead of fighting that all the time, I started to look for the edges where personal gardening is still welcome:

Planters near your own door that you buy and maintain yourself.
Small community beds that neighbors are willing to share.
Volunteer spots, like weeding or pruning in agreed areas.

Talking to a neighbor who already gardens there can help. They often know what has been tried before and what draws complaints.

A few quiet mental shifts that helped me

Not every small move is about objects. Some are about how you think of gardening and moving together.

Here are three that changed how I feel during a move, not just what I do.

Shift 1: From “saving everything” to “carrying the heart of the garden”

I once tried to save every plant. In the end, I saved most of them, but lost my energy and joy. The new garden looked crowded and slightly forced.

Now I think more about carrying the “heart” of my garden:

a few key plants with stories
my favorite tools that fit my hands well
a set of habits like morning watering or evening walks

If those are intact, the rest can be rebuilt.

Shift 2: From “once and done” to “seasonal adjusting”

I used to think a move was a single event, then I would “set up” the new garden and be finished.

Now I treat the first year more like a long test:

Spring: watch what survives the move and where water flows.
Summer: see which plants are really tough in heat.
Fall: edit the garden based on what actually thrived.
Winter: plan calmly for the next round, instead of rushing.

This makes the process less dramatic. Less pressure for everything to be perfect at once.

Shift 3: From “my yard only” to “my green life in the city”

This one is still new for me. I am starting to see my garden not as a separate world, but as part of how I live in the whole city.

So my “green life” includes:

my personal pots and beds at home
the parks where I walk and observe plants
community gardens where I help on occasional weekends

When home space is small or limited, those other parts matter more. When home space is big, I still like to step outside of it and see how other people are working with the same climate.

Common questions I asked myself, and how I answered them

Q: Is it worth the trouble to move my plants at all, or should I just start over?

A: If your current plants hold memories or have proven that they handle Salt Lake City seasons well, then yes, it can be worth the effort. Moving even a small group of them gives your new garden a sense of continuity and confidence. On the other hand, if you mostly have cheap, common plants that struggle each year, starting fresh with better suited ones might actually save you time and water.

Q: How many plants is “too many” to move?

A: The honest answer depends less on numbers and more on your energy, helpers, and vehicle. If caring for your current collection already feels heavy, moving them all will not make that feeling lighter. I found that if I cannot list the names or basic needs of my plants from memory, I probably have more than I can properly move and re-establish in one season.

Q: What if my new place has terrible garden conditions?

A: Then the small move might be mental first. Treat your home garden as a container or balcony project, and use parks, public gardens, and maybe a nearby community garden as your wider green space. Focus on plants that do well in tough spots, like drought tolerant natives or herbs, and accept that this phase of life is more about observing and learning than about having a perfect yard. That is not failure; it is just a different shape of garden life in Salt Lake City.