I would not feed them and generally pretend it is winter and they got to go to sleep. It may not hurt to check so now and then if they got new growth going, because you might want to give them some sunlight if they start growing in that burlap thing.

It could make sense also to heavily mulch the soil around, for one to avoid paint residue from reaching the roots, but also to cool off the soil somewhat, to help them go dormant. You could cover it with some cheap fabric also, that should catch at least some of paint spilling.

If you have access to pallets (the wooden things that merchandise is shipped on, for long distances), putting the pallets over soil will prevent it from the compaction of heavy footed workmen.

Jackie - Do you by chance have a picture with the roses in bloom? I can only begin to imagine how beautiful a 3 1/2 story house covered in roses would be?

Laurie

Thanks for all of the good suggestions! I will bring up the pallet one with my DH.

Re pics - of course I have lots of pics, but I am extremely tech phobic, and have barely learned how to print pics from my new camera, let alone learned how to post them here. Very low frustration tolerance. Some day I will figure out how to post pics (every time I have read the many long explanations kind people have posted here I get a headache), and then I will.

Jackie

What a job, Jackie! And it's just beginning. I wouldn't give your roses the encouragement of extra water or any fertilizer until it's over. Water as usual. If it gets blistering hot, you should water as you ordinarily would. Scaffolding is very expensive and dangerous to work on. Let's hope it doesn't have to be placed on top of a rose. The supports have to go where they have to go. And I fear scaffolding will be up longer than you think. They like to take it down all at once, and if it's needed for the construction, it could be there a while.

As for the pallet idea, I share Ann's concern for your soil. But I wouldn't put pallets down to trip up the painters or construction workers. Construction is dangerous, and NO garden is worth an injury to a worker. The best you can do is emphasize to the contractors on no uncertain terms that your garden is old and valuable, that your plants are not to be harmed and that it is not a garbage dump. You can put the fear of God in them, and that's the best you can do. Don't add a tripping hazard to their already dangerous jobs.

I'd be just as concerned about them driving over other parts of your garden with their pickups. They love to park right next to the job (their trucks are their tool boxes). Put up that yellow construction tape where they can see it, so they have no excuses.

Thanks for the the advice about watering, and the remark about pallets - my DH has already ruled them out also. Because he is a general contractor he speaks their language, and knows that life will not be worth living if they are allowed to rampage around and destroy things unnecessarily.

I am not worried about their trucks - luckily we have a long long driveway right next to the house. My husband knows that no vehicle will be allowed other than on the driveway or the street - I don't even have to tell him what would happen if someone tried to park in the garden (it would not be pretty, believe me).

I have reminded him that the 2 lawns, let alone the other beds, are NOT staging areas for "stuff" - that will need keeping on top of. Luckily we are both retired, and he is planning on being here every minute that the workers are, to make sure that his life continues to be worth living.

Actually, he does get it. He has built structures around some of the roses to protect them, before we put burlap on them. Anyway, it will be an interesting experience.

Jackie

I wish you a lot of luck---this is an amazing project. Hopefully all the roses will survive
Florence