It is a vine, and in warmer climates it can be quite invasive. Give it something to climb up and when it gets a bit long you can trail the runners back to the bottom and it will climb again giving a bushier effect. If you have it as a hanging plant you can just let it trail/hang down. Usually after hanging down a bit it will turn up and climb back up on itself.They've very easy to grow, just don't let the potting soil stay too soggy, or too cold.

mushibu10 - Ken refers to potting 'media' (probably ought to be potting 'medium' if you want to nit pick about singular and plural) but over here we call it potting 'compost'. Seedling compost isn't really the thing for long term growing as it doesn't have sufficient nutrition and is quite dense. I just use the stuff sold as house plant compost. Any garden centre or DIY place such as Homebase will have it. No need to repot now but when you do I'd get the appropriate compost. Note to US readers. Don't panic over me recommending 'compost'. In the UK the word means both rotted down stuff and growing media. It's quite clear which is which in the shops.

Yes, we need to know what types of plants you have in order to help.:) I have overwintered a whiskey barrel in the past. I cut the hardy plants back and dropped them in the bottom. Get yourself a completely submersible titanium aquarium heater (don't use the glass ones!) rated for the number of gallons of the barrel. Stick it in the barrel and plug it in. It will keep the barrel from freezing. It won't heat it up warm but it will keep it warm enough to prevent freezing.

That should be just fine -- I've kept a Parma in a pot for several years here in the hot, humid, sunny summers of Washington, DC. The more consistent shade you can give it the better (a larger plant would work well) and needless to say cloudy days are your best friend; be careful to water before it wilts too far without keeping the plant wet all of the time, and always be on the lookout for spider mite damage. If you see evidence of the mites, you'll need to spray the plants thoroughly (especially under all of the leaves), and hopefully you can obtain the correct horticultural spray oil (the summer type, which is even more ultra-refined than the winter version, which can harm plants when sprayed on foliage during the warm season). A second spray will need to be applied one week after the first to kill the newly-emerged hatchlings, and that should take care of the problem for a good while. This is a safe, non-toxic solution to the mites if they occur. I've often taken mine in and overwintered it in the refrigerator once it gets too cold outside (low 20s Fahrenheit over night seem to be their natural limit to avoid permanent damage without some protection), but I have also noticed that keeping the plant enclosed in plastic guards against the desiccation injury that I used to think was simple cold damage. Even putting it into a clear plastic bag with the top left partly open is much better than no protection at all; it's mostly important to maintain high humidity around the plant when the temperature drops significantly below freezing, and I believe this is precisely how cold frames keep the plants happy during the winter's coldest weather, in combination with the added warmth and protection of being rooted in the ground, of course. Stefan