Ofm, Ok you've got two people's worth of two cents from similar zone conditions. Their advice should be hitting home for you. I am in zone 9b, do more container gardening and have been fussing more over my tender succulents. I believe in Tuff Love and that's the approach I take with my semps in their raised bed. Suffice to say that a lot of my semps fell by the wayside over the years...