They'll get better as the season goes on. I usually test various plants to see how they do in my area. I generally trust the perennial and annual labels, and even what people say, but there just seems to be some plants that I like which I want to see how durable they are.

I have an annual salvia that has been growing for about 5 years without dying back. I thought it was the salvia itself that was defying its label for my region, but last year, I planted another same plant in another area of the garden, and it died. So now I have realized, the random spot next to the house that I planted that first one, was just a lucky spot. It must have the right microclimate to survive the winters.

Dusty Miller has never been on the list of annuals, lol! I think that it tends to look better the first year, which may be part of the reason that it has been treated as an annual.

Still, I used to rip it out at the end of the season thinking it was an annual.

With that said, I don 't think I will be all that caring about it since I can purchase new ones at about 25c each. OTOH, I like the idea of getting them to survive the winter. I also like the look I get from people when I tell them that the plants are now two years old.

Dusty Miller is a perennial and can winter over if the climate permits it. However don't be surprised if it flowers the second year if it's big enough. Sometimes it's the third year. You lose that compact arrangement of leaves for loose leaves and in my opinion the ugliest flower I've ever seen so if yours is OK this year don't push it for a third year

I believe I have seen it bloom elsewhere. Is it a small yellow flower?

"Don't push it a 3rd year" makes me want to see what ugly looks like in a plant. (:
I imagine it is leggy for one.

Ugly is a tall-- about 4 foot stem with with a few small yellow flowers on the top. Being so tall they tend to lean sideways. Nothing I'd want in my flower ved

Not to forget that they can be purchased at 25c each but I wonder if cutting them back will develop a not-so-ugly response...?

Nope.....they never look nice and tidy in their second or more year's growth. At least how I like to use them, that is.

I always plant them in groups and pinch off the growing tips throughout the growing season so that they form compact mounds. They last this way ,looking better each year, through four or five winters before dieing Mysteriously.

My Mom put these in pretty heavy shade under oak trees either last year or the year before. (She sometimes has shade denial.) Pretty sure she hasn't done anything but look at them since. I don't have an opinion if they're better or not as good, I just can't find the love for this plant, but happened to take a pic Sunday since they do seem perennial here. They are very visible under the tree, I can say that for 'em!