linux - How can I add space to a partition which is not the last?

I have an Ubuntu Server virtualized (version
Linux server 3.2.0-58-generic #88-Ubuntu SMP x86_64 GNU/Linux) in a VMWare, like this:

hard Disk1 SCSI(0:0) --> 11 Gb /dev/sda1
hard disk2 SCSI(0:1) --> 30 Gb /dev/sdb1

This machine has this occupation:

fdiks-l

Disk /dev/sda: 11.8 GB, 11811160064 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1435 cylinders, total 23068672 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0001ce75
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048    15958015     7977984   83  Linux
/dev/sda2        15960062    16775167      407553    5  Extended
/dev/sda5        15960064    16775167      407552   82  Linux swap / Solaris
Disk /dev/sdb: 32.2 GB, 32212254720 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3916 cylinders, total 62914560 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2666a626
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1              63    41961779    20980858+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        41961780    62910539    10474380   83  Linux

So, my objective is:

1. Create spce in Vmware to HD2 (SCSI(0:1))


2. Give that space to /var (/dev/sdb1)

My free space is:
df -k

Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1       8,1G  6,7G  944M  88% /
udev            3,2G  4,1k  3,2G   1% /dev
tmpfs           1,3G  500k  1,3G   1% /run
none            5,3M     0  5,3M   0% /run/lock
none            3,2G     0  3,2G   0% /run/shm
/dev/sdb1        22G   19G  1,3G  94% /var
/dev/sdb2        11G  7,4G  2,8G  73% /home

I'm reading things like this, but I guess that I can't resize /dev/sdb1 (/var) if I had /dev/sdb2 (/home) just next door, the last block of sdb1 is the next in sdb2.. What are my options? I thinking in:

1. Merge sdb1 and sdb2


2. Add space to this new partition


3. Split again /var and /home, but leave the maximum space to /var

But I don't know... All of this, without loss any data... any ideas?