Good time to transplant roses?

I'm about to get my driveway extended to take over a much larger area of our front garden. The garden is currently filled with roses which have been there > 20 years. Is it worth offering the roses free to good home as they will have to be removed anyway before clearing the site in June for the new driveway?

 

Old established roses like that will be very difficult to move with viable root. I took some old roses out last September, the roots were deep taproots, it was a bar and pick axe job. Before I did I took cuttings which, so far, seem to be doing well.

Really though it's the wrong time of year to try. :(

 

Thanks for advice. I already removed some roses last year, and as you say the roots are very long and deep. I managed to break a fork trying to get them out. It seems a shame to just discard them.

 

The only other thing I could suggest if you have a rose with particular value - sentimental or otherwise - would be to try a graft onto some new rootstock but you will have to wait a wee bit until growth is really under way to get good grafting material (scions) from the donor plant.