K, WOW!!! That's about the most color-enhanced photo I've ever beheld -- anywhere!!! Better even than some of Wayside Gardens' pics! Also, I have to complement you on standing your ground regarding Mint Julep . . . I'm another beholder whose eye tells me that Mint Julep is one very, very YOU-glee rose!!! It's curious indeed that certain novelty roses persist in commerce: Roses like Mint Julep, Julia's Rose, Grey Pearl, Irish Creme, and (regardless of protests to the contrary) Sterling Silver -- whether any of them is grafted or (hopelessly) own-root. Unless one gets-off on something approaching horticultural masochism, I can't imagine why perfectly good garden space is squandered on such dogs, or why good money is spent on them. Let's face it -- nobody grows them REALLY well in a garden setting. The unwitting Michigoose can pride her/himself in having dropped only 99 cents at Spring Hill.

Another update, most of the leaves have shriveled up. Even the new buds which were appearing seem to be wilting. However, a couple of runners seems to have come up through the soil and seem to be looking quite good. Should I just let them grow? Should I massively prune the rest of the plant to promote growth? Does the growth of the runners indicate the plant has taken to the soil (which is admittedly bad)? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all! i'll go with keeping it inside and, as suggested, in a sunny location with moist soil. Many many thanks for the helpful responses. If Miami/south Texas are zone 9b, then i am WAY off. Sorry, my fault. During Dec/Jan, our temperatures dip down to -40 C.... average minimum temperature is around -2.1 C, i think. During winter, +10 C is considered an exceptionally warm day for us. Thank you, again, everyone. Much appreciated.

let it grow a bit then cut them all down to groundlevel , in most cases the new shoots won't be infected. Also do not pot it shallow , fill it with more earth so there is more ventilation going on. spearmint is a real hassle when it comes to leaf rust , i stopped growing it in my climate because we have very high humidity throughout the year ( below sea level ). Some mint like banana mint and corsican mint are more resistant to leaf rust. strawberry mint and pineapple mint usually get infected as well. chocolate mint is more resistant but eventually without care it gets infected as well. if you want mint that is more resistent to fungi or pests then get banana mint or some of the wild species like corsican mint , mentha aquatica or some asian/ japanese mint species. I have grown most of the cultivars and hybrids and they all got infected so i stopped growing them. it is also better to apply a layer of mulch like small gravel or something similar because most fungi are soil borne especially in pots. Right now cut back the shoots close to ground level and give it more ventilation, apply a layer of mulch/gravel once new shoots have appeared.