i doubt the ground will thaw... my concern.. would be cut tissue.. thawing in spring ... and rotting in ice cold thawed soil ... before active growth could begin ... i made some big mistakes with such with too early mail order many moon ago .... if it could be done.. without cutting roots.. like on the tiny ones ... it might work.. might even keep them in the veg crisper in the fridge ... lots of theory.. but i would NOT bother ... in this season ... as i have NO experience in such.. besides.. its your prized mousers... do you really want to experiment on those??? ken

I've been rearranging hostas for two or three weeks now, as I see how they are growing and the mistakes I've made in placing (spacing, haha!) Even moved three mature albo maginatas in 95 degree+ heat, which never even wilted and continued blooming like nothing at all had happened...and a mature Janet, ditto. When they are moved with a good clump of soil and given plenty of water, they don't even seem to know it. I've also accidentally bare-rooted a couple of smaller ones, and even they haven't so much as wilted. The only one I've had a problem with is a division of Dragon Fire I received in mid-June from a Wisconsin nursery, and it hasn't liked our Ozark heat at all. A good share of the leaves wilted like cooked spinach, literally melting off. All the rest of the plants I got are doing fine, it's just that one. The remaining leaves seem to be ok tho, but a little limp. I've got my fingers crossed on that one. In spite of its name it seems to be heat sensitive. I hope it outgrows that next year! I do have some really mature hostas I need to rearrange, but that isn't happening until spring. I can't get in that bed easily to see what I'm doing with all those leaves, and what I'd be stepping on in the process, so I'm going to wait until the jungle is just waking up.

Vicki, I think you can safely move them for a couple of weeks yet in Zone 4B. I personally prefer to move them in the spring because you don't have the leaves to contend with...it's just easier. But, if you want to move them now, no worries! When we moved from Z4b to Zone 5a in early October, I planted 4 hostas that I just couldn't resist at a late season sale and all 4 survived! Char

I agree, it's hard to decide between practical and pretty. I love Bradford Pears. They remind me of the street where I grew up, lined on both sides with Bradfords and in spring it was like magic snow when they were in bloom, but most 'professional' gardeners don't really like them. I think if you can stick with a relatively native species you like, then you are ok... I also think a lot of this has to do with where you live. If you have a tree protected by lots of other trees, houses, etc you may have a better chance than if you have one big tree on a relatively empty lot. Plus, as JR says- when there is a storm that big, it doesn't much matter, you do what you can. The Mobile Botanical Garden Plant sale is this weekend if anyone in the area is looking for good stuff- we got a terrific Satsuma tree there last fall- and we already have Satsumas ripening to show for it!