Well I am not sure who you are asking so here goes with my area. I live in WA. I think it is zone 7 but not sure it is hard to know exactly. I keep getting confused. I hear some people from my area say 8 so until I ask a nursery I'll go with this one. I just cut down everything but the climber to the root ball and then cover them with peat. Or you can do it with what every you prefer to keep the ground from freezing. I know alot of people that are avid about hay. I do the same with my minitures, even in the pots. They always seem to come back. Annette Klein Vancouver WA.