I'd say yes, she's OK, but why are you keeping her in the garage? I'm in zone 6 also and keep my potted SDLM on the deck all winter. There I know she gets watered when it rains. or from snow melt - that's it, I don't add supplemental water in the winter to any of my deck plants. It's done fine for 3 winters now treated that way. I do push the pots up close to the house wall for added protection and passive solar warmth from the bricks. I used to put pots in the garage too, but I decided I'm too lazy, and I forget to water them too! Even so, when I did keep them there they all survived, even without water so your SDLM should too.

How often? Depends on what type of soil you have, how much rain you get in your area, and how hot your climate is. Clay soils hold water longer than sandy soils, so sandy soils would need watered more often than clays. If your soil is mulched it will hold moisture longer. Best time to water is early morning, so, the foilage can dry before night-fall. Now, some people hose there roses down with water every few days in the early morning, they say it washes the blackspot spores off. I personally have never tried this, so, I can't comment one way or the other.

Hello, How close to the ocean is your garden? and what is the average day temperature during summer? With no water at all for 3-4 months in summer during our annual California seasonal drought, band sized and many gallon sized plants might die from lack of water if planted right away in your dry garden. Where day temps are more often in the 80's and higher, I would go with Ramblers which the East Bay park department says are drought tolerant in our area, and species and species hybrids. For 20 and more years, in the woodland acreage at the Morcom amphitheatre of roses, in Oaklland , Califorornia grow many R. brunonni outside of the irrigation system, ( many are seedlings from a mother plant) a few R. moschata, and many Banksiae., as well as Alberic Barbier, all do fine with no water at all during our annual summer drought which lasts 3-4 months each year. I volunteered at that park and made a cultiver and rose species database in the late 1900's(crikey that makes me sound old) and early 2000's. Large trees shade these roses for 4-6 hours out of the day, but all but those in the deepest shade bloom normally. My 'Albertine' was lost when moving and found months later crammed between several pots, with no water, and it lived and thrived. Because so many of the Rambler roses are species hybrids, and said to be drought tolerant, here, I would try the re-blooming rose 'Mermaid' in a dry garden after it had grown to be 5-6 feet tall. It reblooms very well and is gorgeous. I imagine a dry hillside planted with Mermaid, with a few Veilchenbleu , Kiftgate, Silver Moon, R. laevigata, Alberic Barbier, Susan Louise and other R. gigantea hybrids. R.californica transplanted after their roots are 3 feet long, or more. . If I never intended to water them. I might plant Califorinia lilac, ceanothus as mounds for the ramblers to ramble over. If I watered deeply once a month as Gregg does, I'd try the same with the largest cultivars of Old Garden Tea roses, and a few Tea-Noisettes. Tea roses seem to be common among the found roses in warm climates, where live and bloom without being watered during summer, in California and the Southern States. I believe that any of the huge roses R. gigantea , for instance, may be drought tolerant to an extent because of the depth to which their roots reach. R. palustris is said to be drought tolerant as well as wet tolerant, and it has a long bloom cycle too. A row of Susan Louise could provide more shade if needed, it is a gorgeous plant, grown on the ground or as a tree shaped rosebush with the lower canes removed. I would add R. californica, I rarely remember to water mine and it is glorious. It grows to be more than 13 feet tall and has a big bloom cycle in June and scattered bloom of c. 15% for 4+ months after wards, I find that the scent of its leaves has an affect of aromatherapy. The eglantine Meg Merrilees has the strongest foliage scent of any of the eglantine hybrids I've smelled, as good as the species. R. primula would be a treat by the edge of a pathway, for its incense scented leaves. Alba Semi Plena is also reported to be drought tolerant where summer temps average in the 70's F. I spoke to a woman at the Old Rose celebration who told me of a large 'Anna Olivier' growing by a highway near Santa Cruz, California. I'd try growing a large plant in a low-water zone. I've documented a 'Grandmothers Hat' and 'Alliance Franco-Russe' both mature plants, in abandoned gardens in Oakland, where they received no water from a hose nor rain for 3-4 months out of the year, for 10 years (g.hat) and 5 years (the Old Garden Tea). the grandmothers hat is a climber of c. 12 feet tall, and growing up a fir tree, the alliance f.russe was c. 8 feet in each direction the last time I visited it. I hope you can use some of this info. Good Luck, Lux

I should note, we used on clay, if you have sand they might be a bust