On Halloween, I took the kids in their costumes over to my parents' house. I was shocked to find that two of my mom's Roses were still blooming, despite several freezes. (My Rose hasn't bloomed since August, and the Roses in the main garden at my parents' house are done blooming.) The towering orange one pictured above is in a decent microclimate against the brick wall on the east side of the house. The David Austin Rose 'Sharifa Asma' (below, paired up perfectly with a Mum) is in the coveted position of tucked beneath the bay window on the south side of the house.
With such microclimates, these Roses can continue churning out blooms until the real cold sets in.The concern is that the serious cold won't arrive on time. That seems like an odd concern, but my mom and I recall the year, not so long ago, when we had an extended fall, and the Roses were blooming into December. Mom lost nearly all of her Roses that year because when the cold suddenly hit in January, their tissues hadn't hardened up and they froze. 'Sharifa Asma' and 'Zepherine Drouhin' (on the east side against the house) were the only survivors. The microclimates protected them that time. I hope it will again. It would be a shame if these became late Roses.