Question
Hi Tom
I have several lovely Rose of Sharon bushes/trees and get many young plants coming up every new season.    I have potted quite a few that I would like to give as gifts to friends and family when they get large enough.    However the fall is fast approaching and some are still very small and I would like to know how to store them in the pots for the winter.    Could I bury the whole pot in the ground - I don't want to keep transplanting them in and out of the soil?

Answer
Hi Chris,
Thanx for your question.  You actually have plenty of time to plant them in time for them to get used to their surroundings and survive the winter so if you were planning on giving them as gifts soon, go ahead and do so now and the recipient can plant now.  Otherwise, once the plant goes dormant after the first frost, store the pots in a place where they will be somewhat protected from the cold, north wind.  You will have to water them every so often so the pots don't dry out and kill the roots.  I suppose you could bury the pot but it might break or get brittle in the cold.  A protected area outdoors should suffice as long as the plants are regularly hydrated and free draining.  I hope this helps.
Tom