The problem with sowing seeds in large planters is moisture control. In order to germinate the seed has to be moist--not wet-- for it's germination period. This is very hard to do in a large planter.A large planter will dry out on top but be very wet at the bottom. Too much water and the seed will rot or the seedling will damp off.That is why seed is planted in small containers and transplanted into larger pots. Geranium and fuschia are tender perennials no matter where you live. In Canada they are sold annually, but are never called annuals. In answer to your question about other plants. Coleus and Impatiens are 2 more that can be wintered over. The problem with wintering these 2 over is spider mites. You have to treat the plants often for this little pest, which is why many can't be bothered doing it. There are others too but it would be too much typing to list everything and why and how to keep or not keep them for another year.

I have some smaller varieties that I have sprouted in pots (windowbox dahlias). I plan to put one of these in each of several big clay pots that go on my deck, then surround with annuals. Thinking ahead to October/November, if I bring the whole pot in, will that save me the trouble of digging the tubers up in the fall? I'm thinking either I could let it grow all winter as a houseplant, or let it die down naturally. I have geraniums in some of my big pots that go on all winter long in the house: bloom, too. They get leggy so I cut them back before they go out in the spring. Those same pots are planted with spikes (dracaena), ivy and annuals too: but the annuals all die after a month or so in the house, while the spikes, ivy, and geraniums have been going now for at least 4-5 years. (I've got the biggest spikes in the neighborhood!) Then when I put them out each spring I just add in the annual I want for that year. It would be really convenient to be able to do that with some of the smaller dahlias.

Yes, the chives have lived for years outdoors here in zone 7 (you in zone 5b-6... our east mountain area or? north up by Santa Fe?) but the tops die back when it freezes so I clip off the top, chop it up & keep it in the refr. to use. The basil I took indoors is alive but will see how long it survives indoors & also being an annual! Rosemary ( tree-like), lavender, sage doing great all winters. Unusual, but this year just here at our house in Albuquerque it is mile high/5280 ft. & no real freeze yet in December: 60's days/ 40's & high 30's nights!!

You can bring any plant inside, but whether or not it can survive the available conditions is the issue. The first hurdle, that your plant is not a true annual, is overcome by the fact that your plant is a long-lived perennial plant. Any plant that is not a true annual can be a candidate for saving over winter. But as a tropical plant that can only live outside where the conditions are relatively the same all year, it's not equipped to cope with wild fluctuations and seasons. Your ability to replicate the ideal conditions enough so that the plant can survive is the goal. Because your location will have shorter days and weaker rays over winter than a tropical location, put it in your warmest, sunniest spot. Make sure the blinds over the window it is near are open during the day. Elevating any houseplant pots above the floor can help a lot because the coldest air will be @ floor level. The few times I tried to keep this particular vine inside for winter, it got spider mites like sw_gardener mentions. I was unaware of the spritzing with rubbing alcohol trick at the time, which can help a lot with keeping SM's from becoming so out of control that they kill a plant. And hadn't yet learned that trimming it back to a single "layer" of foliage would enable the remaining foliage to get all of the sun, vs. some leaves being in the shadows of other leaves. That's usually OK for traditional low-light houseplants, but plants that require more sun to thrive often do not do as well if part of the foliage is in shadows. The leaves in the shadows will become unable to perform normally and will be the foliage that is attacked by SMs. The increased air flow and visibility are also positive factors.