Personally I'd delay - not dig anything until the house was actually being bid on. Sometimes a house takes months or even more than a year to sell, you might be able to wait until the bulbs have gone dormant for the year or until you know where you are moving to and can transplant them directly. Unless you already know who's going to be buying the house?

We don't know yet... we were hoping to be able to buy it but it gets complicated with medicare and back taxes. Unfortunately we can't afford it, which of course makes me sad. I'm hoping to be able to dig up these flowers to remember the house by. I'm guessing they'd go into pots for now until we have something more permanent. You think I should try to wait as long as possible?

You think I should try to wait as long as possible?
I think you should wait as long as possible. When you do have to dig them, I would not pot them up, but instead leave the foliage attached to pretty well dry and wither away (in a dry airy place) , and then store the bulbs until they can be planted in the ground at the proper planting time in the fall in your area.

Sorry to hear your grandmother's home is being sold, but it is nice that you will be able to take some of the nice flowers she grew and enjoyed. Bulbs are pretty rugged and even if they don't happen to bloom in 2011 due to having been disturbed at an inopportune time for them, they will likely live and bloom for you in later years. Good luck.

Sue