Verena, I'm sooooo excited for you!

Advice, only take those plants that are dearly loved or expensive, regular-popular perennials can be purchased or started from seed again. It's just too much work to dig and replant each and every perennial in my experience anyway.

Post photos when you get them in.

Sharon

That's awesome, Verena.

What area in Saskatchewan will you be moving to, and when is the big day? I keep reading/hearing about how Saskatchewan is gonna be the next boom province. Two years ago our little town had so many houses for sale it was almost ridiculous, and they were selling for way below value. It's a different story now - not that much for sale and the prices have come up a bit. The vast majority of the newcomers are from Alberta or BC.

As for plants, I agree with Sharon's comments above. You will have so much to do with a move anyway, and you have to get the feel of your new yard, plus as you said you don't know what's already there.

Good luck with your move, and welcome to Saskatchewan!

Awwwww . . . . losing another family to Saskatchewan. : ( I'm SO much a home bodied Alberta! Seriously though, I'm really happy for you guys. Any move that makes a family excited is always a good one. There's too many people that have to move for transfers and they're not always thrilled with having to go, making it tough on everyone. Good luck and hope everything goes well pre-moving day. Just remember to line up the babysitters to allow your packing and moving to be headache free for everyone! : )

Anyway, let us know when you're going. Hopefully, I will be in RD before you go and we can meet for coffee. I'll probably be heading down there in April or May. Didn't work out last year but I'd love to meet you face to face before you get further away.

Shauna

That's a good idea on the plants. I have a heritage daylily that I'll be taking a few scoops of (I really love it and it's tough as nails and a quick multiplier) as well as a scoop or two of my heritage iris (probably not necessary as it's likely all over the place, but just in case). Other than that...I feel kind of bad leaving behind the 14 roses we planted last year :o( (If it isn't an enthusiastic gardener we sell to, I may take a few of my favorites) and I'll likely divide my lilies this year and bring a bunch...sort of silly since they're just your standard, run of the mill, mixed lilies, but DH bought them the spring we moved here, and I'm kind of attached to them. ;o)

Pudge, we're moving to Endeavour (just north west) if you know the area, about 89km north west of Yorkton. We're going on Thursday to see it (it's pretty much an all day drive...so we'll actually go out to the farm on Friday) and then looping up to Hudson Bay to see the BIL and SIL, Melfort to see GrandmaIL, then PA to see SIL and nieces, and finally Battleford to DH's friend's, before heading back home (it'll be about a 5 day trip). We'll be scoping out the towns and school/etc on Friday too...I'll likely wind up working p/t in Preeceville for the first while until DH can get his business established.

Shauna, we likely won't take possession until mid/late Aug. so we should have plenty of time for that coffee! It's all still to be negotiated, the official possession date will be March 18th or something like that, but we won't even be listing our house until likely May (give time for the flowers to start blooming so it shows at its best) and they have 200 head that will be calving out in a bit, and overall it sounds like they'd really like to stay until then. We'll likely ask if they'd be willing to plant an extra row of potatoes for us, and see if we can get a steer from them, and then if need be, we can stay with Mom and Dad for a month between places.

Verena

Verena, that's so exciting, congratulations! Sounds like a great place for gardening, and for your boys to grow up. I know how you feel about leaving the garden you worked so hard on, sigh yes I know that feeling. But you will love the new place, I can't wait to hear more about it!

If anyone wants to see the listing pictures, it's MLS 257110. It's listed as a full section plus leased 1/4, but we got it as the 1/2 section to bring the price down. :o) I'll post more pictures once we get back.

Verena

That looks really, really nice, Verena. It looks like you're near a large body of water - big slough? or small lake? Regardless, looks to be a great birding area.

I had a little chuckle - the red barn is identical to the one my dad built (on now my brother's farm).

I'm also near Yorkton, due west tho so you're a ways north of me.

WOW! Congrats Verena! That looks like a great place! Very nice.

I can sure see why you are excited about the big move.

Ang

That is a nice place Verena! I like that big tree in the front yard and the deck, imagine all the flower pots on there!

Can't wait myself to see what perennials are in there!

Sharon

Congratulations on the soon-to-be move, Verena! Looks like a lovely area and a nice house too. My dh would LOVE all those sheds - make sure you claim one or two for gardening stuff!

Congratulations Verena. I hope when you view your new place that it exceeds your expectations.
I think it looks very nice.

Shelley

Thanks All!! We just got back yesterday afternoon (left Wed. at midnight). It was a crazy drive...we drove through about 7 hours of blizzard when we headed out, but it got nice a little before Saskatoon. (Shelley, I was waving as we went through Humboldt.)

Preeceville seems to be a nice little community. Everyone we talked to was very friendly, and seemed to think there will be a huge market for Hubby's taxidermy business (which is reassuring!) We went out to the farm on Friday morning (apparently it was the coldest day they'd had yet this winter) and ahad a look around. The barn we were going to convert to DH's shop won't work which was a little disappointing, but the garage will work until we can build him something larger (and that will be nice for him to have something nice and new to work out of).

The house was even better than I was hoping. The kitchen is very bright and inviting, the bedrooms are a really good size, and there are closets everywhere! (Coming from a house without any closets...that is going to be a major plus!!) The basement is in really good shape and already has a small cold room with a large built in potato bin. Oh...those sheds are a LOT bigger than the pictures make them look...just one will hold all my gardening goodies!!

The lady we're buying from is really nice (her hubby was away working so we didn't get to meet him), and they're going to put in a large garden, which we'll split, so that we'll both have some veggies/potatoes for the winter, and they're going to sell us 2 cow/calf pairs (one heifer calf and one steer for next years butcher) and a 2 year old heifer for butcher, to start our mini-herd and get us our beef for the next two years.

Anyway...we're really excited and it will be June or so when we move in. Can't wait!!!

I thought that was you...LOL. I'm glad everything looks great,Verena. And that you had a general "good feel" about your new community.
Pretty soon, I can say welcome to Saskatchewan.

Shelley

I am so late posting here but... congratulations on the new home..sounds like a wonderful place to raise your 2 boys...savona

Thanks Savona. We're sure looking forward to it...hard to believe that we'll likely be there in a little over two months.

I've been lurking around on here, but I feel so out of the loop, because I'm not starting seeds or buying plants even though I have spring fever...it seems really strange. Next year!

There have been some big developments though. Our house is now officially conditionally sold...We should hopefully know in the next two weeks if the two conditions have been met. And they're going to do all the finishing work, so we don't have to do anything but pack. (Which we've been doing :o) Mom and Dad had to go out there anyway so they took our 5th wheel and boat loaded with stuff this weekend.

Verena

I've finally had a chance to sit and scan in some pictures...

Here's our new house
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The barns
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Behind the barns (I keep telling Larry that I'm claiming the big soft top quonset in the back as my new indoor riding arena ;o)
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This is the picture I'm probably most excited about...it's the view from my new kitchen sink...instead of the peeling pink painted wall I currently get to stare at.
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This is the old log cabin at the corner of our driveway...we're going to turn it into a major feature with a bunch of heritage plants
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And finally, a couple of pictures of the existing flowerbeds
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:o)
Verena

The place looks awesome Verena. I can see why you are excited.
Good for you that your house is sold. One less thing to worry about.

Shelley

That old cabin is awesome! Playhouse for the kids, eh?

Thanks Shelley...we find out on Friday if all the financing on the sale of our house goes through. (It should because it was just subject to an appraisal, and we seem to be in line with all the similar places around.) Fingers crossed.

Marcia, we were thinking guest cottage. ;o) Kidding...sort of. There are actually two old cabins in the yard, and once we get out there we'll see if it's possible to turn one into a summer guest house. It likely won't work, but they're still a cool feature. It's amazing to think that way back when someone actually lived there.

We're officially at the 2 month countdown now. :oD

Wow Verena that place looks so awesome!! I am NOT showing my DH because he wants to buy a farm.

Come on Gil...We could be neighbors, the family we bought from has another two quarters for sale a few miles away, and they're only asking something like 35k a piece. ;o) Then little Elizabeth could have a couple of little boyfiends oops...I mean boyFRIENDs. You know, Brayden was already blowing kisses at your one picture of her. :o)

Your place looks great, Verena! You're going to have a bird heaven out your kitchen window for sure. And I love the old cabin...the stories it could tell, eh. I think nothing sets off flowers better than old wood.

Looks like you're going to be busy figuring out whats already in the flower beds this spring, so you'll be back in action in the Gallery in no time, I'm certain! Good luck with everything :)

Thanks Toots...I may be asking you for some pointers, since according to the map I'm joining your zone. Quite the change from my cozy 3a...somehow we're traveling backwards, so to speak. ("DH I thought the plan was to move to a zone 4..." ;o)

I'm definitely looking forward to the spring discovery...and I'll be bringing some of my favorites with me.

Yay! We can always use another Zone 1er :)