I would put them in the ground IN their pots and cross my fingers.

-Marie

Thanks Marie, I know that would be the best thing to do. But I am on a business trip, and didn't have time to put them in the ground before I left. I am hoping the ground is soft when I get home in mid-november. If so, I will bury them then, if not, they will have to go into the shed, and I will have to cross my fingers.

Jenny P

Jenny, can you put them in a place that doesn't get much below freezing, like a garage, maybe? I do this with my 4 O'clocks. This way I see the pot frequently, and remember to splash a little water in it once in a while. Works well for them; maybe it would work for the clematis?

I did it 3 or 4 years ago with a couple of clematis that I got late in the season and never got around to digging in. I have an attached but unheated garage, and I kept the pots up against the garage wall shared with the house, thinking it might be slightly warmer on that side. Both survived just fine. I don't remember if I covered them.