I would keep them in a place that is not too hot but not freezing.... maybe a laundry room or garage or patio porch???? If all these places are freezing and where you are they probably are..... just keep them in their bags or pot them up and keep them moist.... keeping them moist will be your biggest problem..... they probably also don't have enough soil.... if you felt like hardening them off you could also gradually acclimate them and just plant them outside.... this is probably best...... :) ......

I was wondering about this too, since I ordered a bunch of plants from a cut-rate nursery in IL and they sent most of the plants already - and we still ahve a foot of snow on the ground! (they sent them 2 months before our official "frost-free" date - go figure!). I am wondering how to keep them moist and alive, yet not promote mold - keep them in their bags, maybe add a bit of peat moss, and just mist them a couple of times a week?

They should be planted outdoors as soon as possible.

Bareroot plants are grown in fields, dug in the fall, and held in cold storage, their roots are kept moist by shredded paper or sphagnum moss and clear plastic wrapping.

Stores don't generally sell plants until they're ready for planting out. If you can't plant them right away, you should "heel them in."

You simply dig a trench in a shaded, empty border or the vegetable garden and, laying the plants at a 45o angle, cover them with soil and firm gently.

Plants can be left for some days, or several weeks, after heeling in, as long as you ensure that they do not dry out.

Make sure that you plant them in their permanent home before the new seasons growth begins.

*Also make sure you give the plants a good soaking by allowing them to sit in water for a couple of hours prior to planting. You can place leaves or straw around them to protect them from drying winds...if you have it.

But...in Vermont with a foot of snow...."heeling in" is out of the question.
I would plant them in pots, inside as soon as possible.
That's often the problem with cut rate plants....there is no regard to stocking at the proper planting time.
Linda C

Yes - that is what I did - my home office, which is the only dog and kid-free spot in the house, is full of old plastic 1 and 2 gallon pots full of the plants, just waiting for the time when I can plant them out. Because I live in a solar-powered house, grow lights are also out of the question, so the best any of them get is some bright light - the sunny spots by the windowsill are reserved for my seedlings.