Even "southern high bush" blueberries can take quite a bit of freezing temps, (some botanist are classifying blueberries into 2 types, lowbush, (exclusively a couple of northern species) and highbush. And like apples, some require more chill hours than others, but are the same species, (Vaccinium cyanococcus or Vaccinium corymbosum; Since these plants will readily cross pollinate, it will take a geneticist to really tell us what is what). Therefore, I would not worry too much about them being able to over winter, just remember that just because the plant isn't actively growing doesn't mean that it doesn't require adequate watering.

Hi northspruce, Well I have been playing around with mini-roses for hmmm 3 or 4 or maybe 5 years LOL. I brought them inside in the fall and put them in the basement in the laundry room. This is also where I have my lights set up for starting seeds in the spring. I just bring them in and let them die back naturally.......you have to clean up the leaves..they make a mess when they fall off. Ummmmm let them dry out almost...it makes them go dormant...I give them a tiny bit of water again in ohhhhh november or early december...this starts some new growth if you want to take cuttings, once they get 4 to 6 inches. I actually prune back in January...you know when you feel you really need to do something gardening like. At that time, I re-pot them if they need it, give them a good watering and give them 10 52 10 fertilizer about 1/4 to 1/2 strength. And place them under the grow lights about 12 to 16 hours a day. Harden off in spring. Last year I left a mini rose in the garden over the winter. It was a cutting from the year before. I covered in peat moss, then covered in burlap put a tomato hoop around it and covered that in straw. This spring it looked dead.....but I left it and some new growth began from just the bottom stem. I cut off the winter kill branches. It is now a nice little mini that has its first bloom open yesterday and more to come. As for my other mini roses that are a bit older...they are huge this year.....I don't know if I want to bring them indoors or not....I might just try some fall cuttings. Haven't really decided yet. Happy rose gardening, Sierra

For these 3 pots: Glazed or Plastic Pots Planted With Tulips,Hyacinthoides and Allium Glazed or Plastic Pots Planted With Lilies , Allium, Tulips Clematis w/ tulips, allium, in glazed pots The bulbs all need a chill period, so they need to be somewhere cold, though it doesn't have to be below freezing. I don't know how long the cold period needs to be, though, so you might need to research that. I also don't know how cold you get in the winter and for how long and what your tolerance is for losing pots or plants. To minimize loss, you don't want them to be really wet and freeze since the expansion of freezing soil may damage your pots (both plastic and glazed ceramic), and you can't let them get super dry since that will damage the plants. If they get too cold that may also damage the plants, so typical rule of thumb is to use plants that are hardy to 2 zones colder than yours for exposed pots. I have a feeling that both the shed and the screen porch will be ambient outside temps and will only have the advantage of letting you control moisture, and so I'd choose to place these on the steps under your bulkhead. They will stay a bit warmer, but still get good chill, and you can monitor moisture levels. In early spring after danger of severe cold has passed, move to the screen porch so that they get good light, or an outside spot where they don't get too much moisture, like under an overhang. Burial might work for you (depending on duration and extent of really cold temperatures) but I don't think I'd want to chance the pots, and those would have to be mighty large holes. You'd need to insulate over the soil surface with mulch or weighted down sheets of builders insulation (ugly!) since exposed soil freezes much more deeply than covered soil. Regardless, cover all the outdoor, bulkhead, and cellar pots with hardware cloth covers since mice and voles might find your bulbs and perhaps other plants to be good food sources. The only other of your plants that I've overwintered are Dahlias and tuberous begonias. Last winter which was quite mild, the Dahlias stayed in pots in my unheated and sunny entryway. Both the pots and the Dahlias survived total benign neglect no water or attention all winter. I was surprised to see that they had survived, but I might suggest that a cool dryish indoor location like your cellar might do better. Someone wiser & more experienced than I should advise you about when to start watering and bringing them into the light. My tuberous begonias go into a setting like your plant room (my east-facing cool kitchen windows.) They die back and I just tuck them under the bench holding other tender perennials until spring. I water them just enough so that they don't get overly dry, perhaps once a month a little bit. They start growing on their own when the time is right and I bring them up into the light then. Putting them outside on above freezing days might help them be less leggy - I am going to try that this spring with one of my pots.

Thanks orchiddude. If it'll work, I'll probably buy 3, as I have 3 larger planters to fill NOT with flowers, as they attract bees and wasps. They were a real pest last summer as I spent a lot of time in and around my pool. I'd just hate to leave them outside to die in late fall, because they're such a beautiful palm. I think they're underrated. Pictures of big ones are amazing. they're one of the most tropical looking palms, in my opinion and are better suited to grow in Michigan than a coconut, not to mention dirt cheap.