We overwintered the potted Roses in the garage to keep them from freezing. In April, I built two cold frames and placed them against the back of the house where they could get as much sun as possible from the southern exposure. We placed the Rose pots inside the cold frames and within a week new growth began showing on the plants. The tops of the cold frames are hinged so we can raise and lower them, and the front plastic can be rolled up. This lets us control air circulation and prevents the Roses from baking in the sun. We want the plants warmed, not broiled. In addition, this gave us frost protection from the inevitable April and May cold snaps without having to move the pots in and out of the garage every day.
The next project for the back yard, completed May 2nd, was to build an extension on the patio. We noticed last year that maneuvering around the patio table was sometimes difficult. When the grill was hauled out of the garage for barbequeing, space got really tight. We figured out that just a few extra feet of space would make the patio seem much roomier. I've got a more detailed description of the construction of the patio extension in the Projects section. It took a full week to complete the project because it rained almost every day, so I had to work between showers. And the end of April is not all that warm in Wisconsin.
We overwintered the potted Roses in the garage to keep them from freezing. In April, I built two cold frames and placed them against the back of the house where they could get as much sun as possible from the southern exposure. We placed the Rose pots inside the cold frames and within a week new growth began showing on the plants. The tops of the cold frames are hinged so we can raise and lower them, and the front plastic can be rolled up. This lets us control air circulation and prevents the Roses from baking in the sun. We want the plants warmed, not broiled. In addition, this gave us frost protection from the inevitable April and May cold snaps without having to move the pots in and out of the garage every day. 
The next project for the back yard, completed May 2nd, was to build an extension on the patio. We noticed last year that maneuvering around the patio table was sometimes difficult. When the grill was hauled out of the garage for barbequeing, space got really tight. We figured out that just a few extra feet of space would make the patio seem much roomier. I've got a