I would think you SHOULD leave them outside in the winter. You say the urns are large, so plant the bulbs toward the center of the pot if you're afraid they will freeze. But most bulbs need that winter chill to trigger them to bloom in the spring. (Hyacinths and tulips actually need to be chilled in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks to bloom here.) You should water them through the winter if you don't get rain. Most years, we get enough rain that I don't have to water my bulb pots. Stick your finger in the soil once in awhile. If it's dry, water. Your urns will look more attractive throughout the winter if you can plant some cool season annuals in them too: pansies, snapdragons, forget me nots, lobelia are all good here. Check around for what works in your area (if any).

If you want to go out and buy one of those impact sprinklers with a motion detector on it that shoots a back-and-forth of water when it detects motion, you'll not only deter the birds, but you'll be keeping your seeded lawn damp, which is good for it. I wish I could think of the brand name, It might be called a scarecrow, but i'm not 100% sure.

Im sorry but unless they are a hardy species, they are gonners for sure. The only hardy species I have ever seen with a braided trunk was a rose of sharon, they usually have pink blooms, but occasionally are white. If the blooms on your hibiscus were something like yellow, peach, orange, anything that looks tropical, it probably was. I have seen hibiscus die in florida. They lose most of there leaves after a light frost and the coldest temp mine has ever survived was 28F (and I really have no idea how it survived). Still it lost all its leaves and didnt flower until october (and since it was cooler outside the flowers werent as nice). Basically your plant is probably dead, but keep it until mid may and if you get any growth at all, it wasnt tropical and will come back. If nothing happens, its dead.

Thanks for the advice. I will slowly harden off the peppers. There are only 4, so taking them in at night won't be a big deal :). Now if the weather would just cooperate. It's been a cool spring here in MA. I also have seedlings of some habanero, jalepeno, serrano, hungarian wax as well as 3 varieties of bell peppers started, and the are growing slowly. I want to get these out in some sunshines also!