Isn't it amazing how much energy we seemed to have had six months ago when everything was beautiful and WARM? It took me nearly thirty years, but now I think about what it's going to be like planting them when it isn't NICE outside, though our "isn't nice" is probably a lot nicer than what you described!

Just a thought, but would it be possible to have the roses arrive in fall, put them in pots, and then put them in the ground in spring? Or do you only have bare-root roses available there?

Ingrid

Tell me about it. Our garden has been soaked since Halloween. Now the rain has changed to snow. I haven't taken cuttings yet from my own roses--nor prepared the ground to receive them--and am wondering whether winter has already socked in for the year. Yesterday, in an interval of no precipitation, we put the rest of the tender plants in the two cold greenhouses or in the house, and snugged up the hardy plants in pots close to each other, sweeping dead leaves around them. There are about twenty young roses that were supposed to be planted in December after spending a couple of months in pots further developing roots, but now I'm wondering if we'll ever be able to get them in the ground.
What a fall.
Melissa

Well, Ingrid, it so happens I am doing the wussy thing and am going to stick most of them in pots for now. This has been my first year of buying roses in any sort of quantity - 18 - (for the last 5/6 years, I have replaced every fruit bush at my allotment and, with the hundreds of bulbs, has usually done for me). Also, I am tearing out my home garden and rebuilding so there will be quite enough to do without rushing about the allotment, a mile away from the warm(ish) kitchen and endless cups of tea. Then there is some guerilla planting around the neighbourhood (we are trying fruit trees again but investing in fortress-like timber barriers) and it is last chance time for the numerous biennials I still have not got in the ground yet - also guerilla style round the public greens. I have become more agitated than usual with the state of the nation but have concluded that I am a lousy activist but a decent gardener - we do what we can. Busy busy busy!

Sticking the roses in pots is not at all wussy. It's smart. The soil in the pots is warmer and lighter than the ground and the roots will have a nice chance to grow before they get planted out.

My fall order arrived last week right before the temperatures dropped into single digits. Fortunately the weather warmed up this weekend to the mid-40's, and they're in the ground. I only ordered 4, though--18 would be misery. I will say that the plants look like they will be worth dealing with the weather. They were very fresh looking and already developing tiny new roots. We're getting plenty of rain to soak them in, and they should be quite happy--as long as all the voles I disturbed don't use them for a winter snack.

Now if only there weren't all the bulbs that still need to be planted...

Here in Northern Michigan I can only plant roses in the spring (fall doesn't give them enough time to get established). But I can relate to Companula, as cold & dark fall days are usually when those boxes of bulbs arrive that I optimistically ordered during those sunny spring days. If we only ordered roses and bulbs in late fall, we'd never order any and that would be a bummer!

mmm, yes, I still have 200 tulips in a box. I imagine them moaning resentfully to each other. Ground frozen solid, -22C tonight! I may just put them in big pots, 50 at a time - it would make a great show by the front door.

I still have some daffodils in a box that I need to plant... D:
but yet.... the sales online have me thinking of buying more. D:

oh Aimee, a few years ago, I was so lax about getting the bulbs in that I still had about 50 daffodils to plant well after Xmas (it was actually March). I planted them up anyway, as an experiment and they did grow....sort of. I got some rather puny flowers in July (although I did try telling a few people that they were a rare and special summer-blooming narcissi). Compost heap for them. Not to put you under pressure, but do try and get them in pots, if not the ground, as they are probably the spring bulbs which really do benefit most from an early planting whereas tulips, for example, really can hang on till January. Oh those sales, you bad girl! There will be all the summer bulbs soon, too.

Well I sort of expected roses to arrive in gloomy autumn/winter weather, the only issue I have with the early orders is that I tend to change my mind and then end up with more plants that I initially planned.

There also are bulbs... Which I probably would be better potting after all, as with ground frozen solid I do not think that planting them properly is going to happen. But then I need new soil as the one I have in the bags is frozen solid (and since it froze wet, I can forget taking one bag inside, as whole pile is one big iceberg). Luckily we have only as low as -7C here, otherwise I would start to worry that some of the roses already croaked. x) I do not dare to check the cuttings' pots though. :/

Yes, every year at this time some roses, and hundreds of bulbs, would show up in the mail. My husband would look at my in astonishment/dismay - WHAT were you thinking? Last year I managed to control myself, as we have run out of sun for the roses and space for bulbs (it is disconcerting when you try to plant bulbs and discover that you are digging up bulbs that are already there!).

I did have one success, however. I have a window box outside of my kitchen window that I have not been able to keep anything growing in - the little plants come up, but are immediately eaten by critters, even though it is 10 feet up in the air. Despite living 3 blocks from downtown, we have possums, squirrels, raccoons, and some wood rats that I know visit that box. So, I ordered miniature daffodils and miniature Iris, hoping the supposedly poisonous daffodils would protect the Iris. Well, the bulbs arrived and I planted them about 2 weeks ago. So far 3 have been dug up, but not eaten - maybe it is working! We shall see what happens when they come up in the Spring (or, I should say, in Jan/Feb, which is when our bulbs come up here).

Jackie

Finally a good day to work in the yard--all the bulbs are in the ground! Hooray! Not the best planting job in the world, but at least they aren't just sitting around in the garage anymore.

Now I just have to deal with the weeds, dead perennials, fallen leaves,...

Everything here is under a foot of snow.

well i hope you are tucked up under a duvet with a good book, Melissa.