I am truly sorry to hear about your divorce and the problems you must be going through. I don't know how much help this will be, since I am in zone 5. I transplated about 4 roses 3 weeks ago and they are doing fine. But, we are still having some cool weather here. Good luck.

I would simplify by cutting back, stripping all foliage to stop water loss, and treating them as bare roots. You aren't likely to keep much dirt attached to the roots.

I wanted some of my mother-in-law's roses when she died but they were too big to move. I ended up taking several cuttings and have three growing (3rd year). Normally, you take the cuttings after the bloom. You can probably get advice on the propagation forum for propagating the roses and gardenia. I found my information with a google search. The resulting plants won't be as big :)

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about your move. I don't know much about moving your roses, but wanted to share a story that might cheer you up a bit.
One of my coworkers bought a house and wanted to move a huse rosebush she had in her yard for approximately 11 years. She couldn't believe it when her gardener just started hacking away at it and ripped it up and told her not to worry about it when she started having a fit. Sure enough, she's been in her new house for 3 years and it's as good as new, unbelievably. So while I don't recommend this method, just do the best you can, and get someone to help you with cuttings if you don't know how to do it.
Good luck!

I successfully moved roses in the middle of summer last year. Get dirt on the roots if you can, then wrap the ball in a plastic bag so the roots don't dry out. If you can't plant in the ground right away, pot them up! Michael is right about cutting back. You might try taking cuttings of the gardenias. You just might be able to root them.
Good luck, and keep your head up!
cindi

Take cuttings and move them. Cut them back (I wouldn't bother to bareroot them), just dig them out with their soil and put them in pots. Make cuttings out of what you've cut back. If you don't have confidence in your own propagating, maybe one of the growers like Ashdown would do it for you for a healthy donation.

Sorry to hear of your struggles. I wanted to tell you that, even in this hot climate, I have transplanted roses in August. Perhaps ignorance was bliss, but I figured they were just plants like any other. Thought they might die at first, but kept watering them and they look great now. So, if you need to move them by a certain date, I would move them no matter what the time of year. Just try to get them in the ground asap. Taking cuttings as a 'back-up' is a great idea, as these are more scentimental to you than mine were. Good luck!

15 years ago I moved roses following a divorce. Although I had so much going on I couldnt make beds right away, kept them in pots and due to time constraints of starting nursing school, building and maintaining a horse farm and with an 11 yr. old son, I wasnt able to care for them as well as I would have liked. But I still have some surviving today. I also moved a bunch of roses in the middle of a hot Texas summer and they all lived. I would say move them. I think the main factor that kept mine alive was constant watering. Good luck! Things will get better. I have a much better life, better rose beds, a better home and a much better man!
Judith

Sorry to hear about that. Agree with the above. I find it easiest to use a long narrow shovel (sold as a drain ditch shovel, or transplanting shovel), and go around the root ball in the approximate diameter of a large nursery container. If the root ball is a bit big, you can use the shovel like a shoe horn, and even trim it along the edges. Water well before and after. I personally like to cut them down to a foot or so high just for ease of moving. And use a hand truck to make the job easier. They will take the move better than you might think.

Agree with all of the above. If you can take cuttings as well, you can possibly root new plants, too, just in case. Best wishes for a better future.

You may want to look at Paul Zimmermans video on moving roses. Cut them back so that the root system you are able to extract can support the top growth. Water well before, during and after transplant. Don't expect much of them the rest of the year. Obviously it's best to do this before it get's scorching hot. Or wait till fall.

I moved a couple of roses in California. When I planted them I covered the area with shade cloth because it was quite hot. Like everyone has already said, water is key. Mine got a little wilty and didn't do much that season, but they were just fine the following year.

Best wishes to you. Change can be challenging - even when we choose it...

BettyN

A friend last year needed to simplify her garden because of advancing age. She gave me several roses. She basically had the gardener whack them down, dig them up, and put in a plastic bag with as much dirt as possible. I planted them in the ground and they are thriving. Roses somehow can be quite forgiving.