Yep, in and out they go. Mine are still staying in for a bit more since I don't have anywhere outside to put them. Everywhere is either covered with snow, or in the way of the cars. Of course, getting them out today would solve any dryness problems :-)

They stay out unless I have reason to believe it is going to go below around 28°F. I believe they can handled colder than that, but it gives me some room for error. I haven't seen any bad effects if they have to move back inside for several days.

Thanks so much - I'll put them in the wheelbarrow and start the dance. Sigh.

I just moved my potted SDLM and fig tree to the back patio. This location has a southern exposure, half walls and a roof so the plants are reasonably protected. Its up to them to survive.

Normally, I think I'd feel about the same, Harry, except that several of these roses are replacements for the ones that died last year, and I really couldn't stand to lose the same ones twice in a row, without them ever even being IN my soil! After this summer in the ground, though, they're on their own. I appreciate the input, thanks.

Ahh, and so begins the spring dance. I am still about 3 or 4 weeks away as we are still much to cold but very soon I will be schlepping in and out as well.

The garage roses have done well this year. There is a little weak growth starting on one of the HT's but the rest are still napping. I am lucky enough to have a pit in the garage that we would never use for it's intended purpose. We used to just use it for storage but it has turned out to be ideal for the roses. I overwintered the old mini Beauty Secret in the house and it pouted for a bit at first but has recovered and is gearing up for it's second winter bloom.

When winter was making us crazy I picked up a few micro mini's to play with cuttings. They grew like weeds and we now have 35 or so under lights in the basement. Most are blooming now and it is soo wonderful to have roses blooming in the winter.

Sure wish spring would just get here......

cathy

My husband built a neat thing to help with the "spring dance" - he put 4 casters on an old door and attached a rope to one end. I just put my rose pots on the door and pull it in and out of the garage as weather dictates (right know I'm up to my armpits in snow, so no "spring dance" for me yet). Once it warms up enough to keep the potted roses outside, I put the door to use on Spring Dance #2 - moving nursery flats of annuals in and out of the garage until the weather warms and the plants are hardened off. Again, it's really easy to just pull them in and out on the door with wheels. I keep a waterproof tarp between the door and the pots to protect the door.

Karen, what a wonderful idea. Very innovative. We have some of them, think I'll have my SO do one for me. Thanks for sharing.

Oh Karen, that's brilliant! I just have a couple of potted roses but we start lots of tomatoes & peppers from seeds and those little guys need to dance from March until Mother's Day.

I never thought of using the wheelbarrow for the annual starts dance. Good idea, thanks.