Question
Hi. I have always covered my roses. Climbers,one is not to tall,the other is a good 6ft. and I have ground cover rose I just planted late this year. The temp was in the 50's and everything was still growing. I have a couple of mini's,too. Then in 1 night it snowed and kept snowing and now it has been very cold. The lake is frozen. I live in the Adirondack Mountains. I know I can't do anything now-but if we get a thaw-which we will,should I attempt some kind of covering at that time?  Thanks Martha Primmer

Answer
Roses are much tougher than gardeners give them credit for. Plus, snow is a very good insulator. At the time of your snow fall, the ground would have been warmer than the temperature above. Rose roots continue to grow even when the soil is 40 degrees cold. So this means that your rose roots are sitting in a fairly warm soil and the canes are at just below the freezing temperature. When you do get a thaw then that would be a good time to cover the roses up with some sort of material. Don't use any of the soil around the rose bushes as it has been protecting their roots. I wouldn't worry at all about the cold snap as it will not injure the roses.