Question
I have a sentimental attachment to a Lady Banks rose bush.  I抳e moved to zone 5B.  Any suggestions for survival.  The plant has been in a pot for decades and needs to get into earth.  Thanks for helping Lynnette, you抮e great!

Answer
lady Banks is rated as harder to zone 6 or 7, so that means you will be pushing it's hardiness. However nothing ventured, nothing gained and gardeners are very good at pushing the limits of a particular plant they  like. So select the most sheltered spot in your garden, preferably something like  against a corner of the house or anywhere the rose would have a blockage to the cold winter winds. This rose will probably die right back to the ground so it will have to be planted in a particular way. Dig a nice large hole and then make sure you plant the rose so the base of it is 12 inches under the top of the ground. That way when if it does dieback you will have about a foot of canes for it to grow back. Then place any mulch you can get in your are all around the base and sprinkle a handful of any rose fertilizer around the base. The secret here is to get this rose to harden off it's canes before the winter sets in. NO fertilizing after the end of July and this will make it start to shut down. In the late fall after th first frost, cut the rose back to about 4 feet and then tie up the canes in a bundle in about three places. Make sure it will not rock in the cold winter winds. Next spring it may be dead to the ground but the canes underneath should be okay. When there is no chance of even a frost, start your fertilizing and watering. The only problem I can see is that the new flower buds may be killed during the winter as Lady Banks makes flowers on second year wood which was made the year before. It certainly is worth a try.