"If a perennial does not bloom until the second year, can I put it a holding bed the first year and move it to a permanent location the next year?"
Sure, it can be done.

"Will moving them at the end of the first year delay blooms?"
Most will not be affected by a move.

"Are there perennials that do not like to be divided?
Some perennials such as Peony and Hydrangea would take at least a season to start blooming again after a move.
Lycoris would sulk big time, for me at least.
I also have difficulty moving plants with large tap roots.
Large, established Echinaceas don't like me if I move them. :-) They always end up dead.
Anyhow, I usually have success moving many things if done before they break dormancy.

"Do some varieties do better if they are slightly crowded?"
Can't think of any right now. Let's wait for others to chime in.

"Are there some that should be divided every year?"
My Heucheras get leggy and grow above ground. They can benefit from replanting every year.
A lot of plants should be divided every 3 years. Others, 4 - 5 years.
Others such as peonies can grow for 30 - 40 years without any need for division.

"After blooming can I cut them back if I am not collecting seeds?"
I usually deadhead my perennials unless I want to collect seeds or keep them for winter interest.
Some perennials such as Salvia can be cut back sharply to encourage a second bloom.

Re:"If a perennial does not bloom until the second year, can I put it a holding bed the first year and move it to a permanent location the next year?"
I find it best to move the perennial to its permanent location at the end of the first year i.e. in the fall, especially if it is a perennial that blooms fairly early. Moving it the second year may delay blooming another year.

Re: "Are there perennials that do not like to be divided?"
Most of the established Malva's don't do well because of their long tap roots. Most of the small volunteers will be fine. Echinacea volunteers will also do well if moved, but established plants may not flower unless moved very early in the spring. I divided my established Phlox paniculata last spring, and did not get any blooms last summer.
Hope this helps.

Thank you for you responses. I can really use this information. I have sprouts of some of the plants you have mentioned. Since they are from my very first winter sowing I really want to take good care of them.

When I posted these questions they were what I was thinking about at the time. Any advice you all can give me, especially for perennials, will be appreciated. My lack of experience means there are things that I donÂt even know enough about to ask questions. So please share your experience.

Good information here. I don't like to move things unless I must. An astilbe wasn't happy, I moved it, and the following year it sprang to life.

Right now I'm struggling with whether I should try to divide a clematis and move part of it. From information I've found, some have long, intertwined roots, no way am I going to dig that deep so am going to risk dividing and killing the main plant, want that one two places.

Seedlings are the easiest to move or pot up and find a new home for them.

Am dreading dividing/moving my Becky shastas (actually I don't want them any more at all and fear no one else will either because daisies are hard to get rid of around here) and messing with my David phlox, also my other phlox. And I'm not looking forward to thinning down my hostas.

I've decided to move a rose where I hope it will be happier and will try to get it done while still dormant. I always expect some setback but doesn't always happen.

Yes, I've read lycoris resent to the max transplanting, have a long story about those but will spare you.

I was really nervous about transplanting as a new gardener although that's how I got most of my plants in the first place. I have a particularly frustrating wet clay corner of my yard with part shade and kept killng things off there. I was amazed at how well the same plants did once I got them out of there the next year.

p.s. after years of messing with that corner I now have a drainage ditch, mounding and did some tree limbing and all the plants in there are much happier.

Baptisias are another that don't like being moved. I started some from seed several years ago, then realized they would prefer more sun in the spring of their second year. I moved it, hoping it would still bloom the following year. Typically, blue baptisia don't bloom til their 3rd year, but this one took 4 years. Supposedly, eryngium doesn't like being moved, but no one told me til after I did it, they were just fine.