"Venu Shelat" wrote :
I have roses in pots. two english, three floribunds & two
hybrids. Live in zone 8b. & was out sick during the fall.
So my roses got neglected & they have no protection from
the cold right now. What can I do to save them still?
Bring them to my garage? Patio? cover with burlap?
mulch? Do I water them? Do I prune or save it for the spring?

This is my first year with roses so please help.

I'm in 8b as well, North Florida. Most of my roses are keeping
most of their leaves. Most of them are also in pots. I'm keeping
them watered; many seem to enjoy this weather (except the freezes
proper) and are in bloom (Prosperity, Old Blush, various English
roses, some modern hybrid teas, some old Garden roses).

I have been covering my smaller potted roses with frost cloth
when frost is forecast by dawn, hoping that tender new growth
will not be damaged by cold, as sometimes it is. So far it hasn't
been under 28 F and the frost cloth seems not to have been needed.

In your position, I'd keep them watered. I'd prune off any dead
wood. Frost protection is probably not essential, but if it's
practical, moving them to a sheltered area when temperatures
are below freezing might not be a bad idea...or covering them
with something during freezing periods: burlap, plastic, frost
cloth. Don't let the soil dry out. Frosts lasting only a few hours
probably will not freeze the pots. I understand that wet soil
is better than dry.

If they've got no living leaves or buds, they might be done for;
it varies with the variety. As I mentioned above, almost all of
my roses have some green (or new-growth reddish) leaves,
apart from some species roses I just received by mail. Have
a look at the canes, see if they are brittle, try scratching the
bark with a fingernail to see if there's some green underneath.

I was in your position last year and most of my roses survived.

Mark., good luck!