Deb, is there still much green showing in those pots? If there isn't I wouldn't bother putting them back out only to put them back in later...Most of mine are mush and with the impending rainy season upon us I'm about to put mine in a sheltered area to keep them out of the rain...then again, my climate is rather different from yours....

While the pruning time of the butterfly bush may not have been optimal it should come back just fine. Pruning them is generally recommended in the spring. Check this out...

Pieter

Deb,

I put mine in the garage over the weekend. They will stay there until new growth starts in the spring. I will miss them but it is one job which is done.

Thanks so much to you both!

debra

Still have to put mine away, probably this week.

Sherry

I cut my butterfly bushes back about 6" above the ground late fall or early winter after a good hard freeze. They always come back good in the spring.

I leave my pots out all winter. after the leaves turn to mush I cover them all with a thick layer of chopped leaves. In the past i've lost ceramic and terra cotta pots to freezing and now use only plastic. This year I did buy a few hard pots that are supposed to be freeze proof, I think they might be fiberglass. If they work out I will get more.

my pots are still out..I put my potted hosta in my shed primarily to protect the pots..

I made the decision to never buy another ceramic pot..they're beautiful but heavy..they can chip, crack etc..I hate moving them..

Yes, I got carried away with the ceramic pots this year….. won’t happen again. I so love the colors though!

debra

ceramic pots are so appealing 💕..

but my injured shoulder hates them 😂..

I'm really going to try not to buy any more ceramic pots..

Yes Ann, I hadn’t thought about your shoulder….. of course they would be difficult to move for you! The bigger ones can be awfully heaved indeed.

debra

debra..my shoulder surgeon said not to lift more than 25 pounds for life..some ceramic pots are over the limit!..

when I pick one up they always feel heavier than I thought they'd be!..

I need to give them up..

When I had my first back fusion, I was given a ten pound limit for lifting……really, I would hardly be able to carry two items in a bag from the grocery store, like milk and OJ. I hate to think how many times I’ve gone over that limit. But then of course I needed another back fusion down the line and a neck one too….maybe I should have listened better!! 😂😂😂

debra

I doubt if anyone could stick to lifting ten pounds or less..I'm sure I've lifted more than 25 pounds..I really try not to..

we have to admit we have limitations don't we?..

Debra, good luck with your pots in the shed!

I went thru period of ceramic pots and now what is left all inside plants. Only few frost resistant ones are living outside. I only do pot in pot too. Gotta simplify my life. That is enough that I am my own landscaper 😆

I only have one potted hosta, I leave it outside until it gets really, really cold and stays consistently cold, then I pull it in inside for the winter. I pack some snow on it mid-winter, which is an easy way to ensure it gets watered when things start to thaw -- slow drip into thawing dirt when its time.

I cut my butterfly bush back last year in teh fall for the first time, and they all sprang back to life with gusto in the spring. Granted, it was a relatively warm winter so I don't know if that was what enabled the success, but I cut mine back again this fall. It just looks so much better out there without those gangly bare branches detracting from an otherwise lovely winter view.

You know, if heavy frost/and a hard freeze turned the tops to mush, they would come back next Spring. Or if a critter came along and ate the tops off, the would come back next Spring.

I cut them back when we get down to 40's at night. We always get up into the 5

We still going by me. I would be worried about pots in closed space with weather like this. Easy recipe for a rot.