Lilies: 2009 Lily Blooms #12, 1 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
Hi Neal - just logged back in and saw your question. I have been overwintering my roses in pots in the garage for years - 2 Gruss an Aachen and one Enfant du France. I do the same with mountain hydrangeas, and in fact with any plant in a pot.

I have an unheated garage, so it can get quite cold. I put them on the wall attached to the house - the warmest spot in a garage in which temps can dip well below freezing. For me it's the best spot. I water them, but not much. I mark my calendar for the first of each month, and give each plant about a cup of water (8 ounces works well).

The thing that will kill your rose is the heat/cold cycle. Last winter the temperatures here went up to 60, and then crashed to 20. My roses leafed out, and I lost branches on some, and then I wrapped them in old quilts. Of course they sprang back in spring, but what I learned is that you should wrap them in advance to keep them colder. I just took the world's ugliest quilt and tossed it over the top of Enfant, because it was so tall, and it draped down the sides. For smaller roses, I draped old bath towels over the top and let them cascade down the side.

They came out of winter like champs. Enfant du France this June.