Let me start at the beginning.
I live in Austin ,Texas where the winters are relatively mild.
A freeze rarely happens and if it does it lasts perhaps a day or so.
The questions are as follows:
I read somewhere that you should place your containers in the ground for winter. I have two issues w this.
a) I rent not own the place I live in. So I don't want to damage the property. Though I do have permission to do anything I want to the yard.
b) Is it possible that the roots will grow into the ground over the winter and cause damage to the plants when I pull them out for spring?
c) Can or should I even wrap in w some kind of bubble wrap or burlap for the winter?

These are the plants I have. Hibiscus,sage,geraniums and cacti. Oh yes and a christhum (sp). I have some herbs that I am planning on bringing in for the winter.

Thank you for your help.
cinquefoil

I'm not sure about most of them, but I KNOW the sage should be fine. I'm in zone 7b, we get some pretty cold winters. My first 2 winters here, all I had was containers(the big Rubbermaid storage boxes are great if you drill holes in the bottom) and my sage was started when I moved in. It got moved to the ground this year, when I finally got around to starting the gardens.

Mums also do well most of the winter and come back in the spring.

id be curious about plants that "last " through an austin tx winter as well ( live there too)

Im planning on having window boxes...


so far i have aspargas (sp?) fern, ace of spades (sweet pot. vine) rosemary

i need some hardy foliage i guess.

cinquefoil
it is not necessary to put your plants in the ground.
line them up together,throw a plastic or any kind of cover over them.place a lit light bulb under the cover and your safe.this is only necessary on freezing days or nights.
it is possible for roots to grow to the ground but not probable over one winter.
wrapping in burlap would help.water the plant thoughroly and wet the burlap.plants take longer to freeze when wet.

spiedee,
i usually invert an empty garbage can or some kind of container over the plant.actual freezing temperatures
last only about 2 hours at night.most plants can survive this.

I have a tri-color sage that comes back bigger and better every year, and I live in zone 4. Most plants, if it's just going to be a light freeze will be fine if you put a sheet or a styrofoam bucket over them. In harsher winters like mine, you have to take a few more precautions. I have a Japanese Maple that I heap soil and mulch around the base and I have wrapped it loosely, but completely in burlap and tied it with jute string.
Most herbs will do okay with protection in a few freezes, but it would be better if those were inside on a sunny warm windowsill. Especially rosemary-they're native to a very arid climate and don't tolerate cold very well. Mine don't even usually live in my dining room(with a bay window) because the floor is too cold. Because by the end of summer, it's huge and in a big pot that will only go on the floor.
Geraniums usually won't tolerate a freeze, so it might be best to bring them in and as for your hibiscus-I have one that is a hardy hibiscus and I just pile leaves around it once it dies back and this summer it came back to be 6 feet tall! It was awesome.