tea rose in zone 6

I was mistakenly sold 2 Duchesse DeBrabant teas as bourbon roses - learned it is actually a tea and won't grow in my area, zone 6, metro Detroit. (Should have done my research!) It is now mid November and both of them look pretty good - I would like to try and give them a chance to make it through the winter. I live in a very sheltered metro area, and typically don't give my other roses much winter protection at all, and they do fine. Any suggestions to give these little guys a chance?

I didn't get any responses to my first post, but I thought I'd put an update, anyway. After a very long, snowy winter, at least one of these roses appears to be alive. In fact, up until the last ice storm, it was actually green. I gave them no cover, except for the few oak leaves that happened to blow into the bed.
Tea roses are not supposed to have survived. These may not be what I was told they were at all. I went ahead and fertilized and I'm watching the second one for growth, too. (It gets less sun). Has anyone had teas (not hybrid?) survive zone 6? I am very sheltered here, but I didn't expect to see them alive.

According to info here on DG your Duchesse de Brabant rose should be hardy in your zone.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51920/

Great info, guess I should have looked there first. Other info I saw didn't list any teas as hardy in my zone. Thank you!

You are very welcome. If you click on Guides and Information above, there is all kinds of info available through plantfiles.

If your rose garden is protected, you may have a microclimate. Parts of my front yard are almost a zone lower than my back yard.

I believe i do have a microclimate, but its hard to judge. Our street is actually warmer and less windy than two streets away, since we run at a funny angle to prevailing winds. Lucky me! my flowers bloom about a week earlier than two streets away. But it is not quantifiable-we got three inches of snow this morning, and our microclimate did nothing to mitigate that! such is Michigan weather!!

I believe that wind is a big factor, the plants that live in my front yard have been covered in snow and 4 inches of ice this year, but they are up and looking hardy, when they shouldn't have come back at all in my zone. They get afternoon sun up against a brick wall that keeps the soil warmer and the house blocks direct wind.

Snow and ice can actually insulate plants against harsh temperatures. Citrus growers actually spray the trees with water when a freeze is predicted.

I didn't know that about citrus! My mom said the same thing - she gardened in Michigan for 40 years before she moved to Tennessee, said I was lucky to have snow since it would help protect them from the cold. So much common sense that I seem to avoided learning until now! Thanks, everyone.

That is one of the advantages of a site like DG. You get to compare notes with gardeners around the world and pick up all kinds of tips and information.

Yes, I love this site! True experiences of other gardeners is helpful beyond the "book" info it offers. And I love the pictures of other gardens!
The little roses are sending up new shoots and look good, although very small. They probably would benefit from a little winter cover, something my other roses don't get. They are so beautiful, and so fragrant, they are worth a little extra effort! Thanks for the help.

Glad to hear your roses are coming back. Glad to be of help....post a picture when they start blooming....GRIN