When we moved to Arkansas, I knew that our housing would be delayed, and we would have to make do with small, temporary quarters for a few months. That is why I broke down each and every violet in my care and set leaves of everything, to aid in transportation and also space constraints once we were relocated. This time, however, we will be moving from one home to another, with no need for temporary accommodations, which certainly helps. I do have a plan to move the three hundred or so violets in my care, and the process has already begun.
First, I've gone through every plant and removed all the lower leaves and old blooms and stalks. My goal is to reduce each plant's size so that I can pack them tightly in under-bed plastic storage containers. To reduce the need for immediate attention to the plants once we reach our new home, I plan to put every plant into a plastic ziploc baggie to hold in moisture during the move. This will also help to insulate them against temperature changes during transit. The storage containers can easily be stacked, and all plants should fit into about three or four containers.
The future of the business itself hasn't really changed. I plan to continue offering leaves next year, although my shipping schedule may change due to the lengthy cold season of the northern Midwest. I also may have to put off the opening of the shipping season for plant reasons as well, since I have no way of knowing exactly how the plants will "weather" the move. The website will stay up and live during our process, and I shouldn't have much, if any, delay in internet access. I'll try to keep you all informed on the process and post pictures when I can. Thanks for all your support!