Debra, I've never tried this kind of thing before but had fallen in love with another tropical plant that I've been trying to keep going inside over the winter. I've included advice on Mandevilla vines from the NYBG site. What they suggest is similar to what I'm doing with the Duranta 'Saphire Showers' I found on sale at the end of summer---- cut it back by more than half, keep it near a warm window, water when it looks droopy, and don't expect much.

The issue I worried about most was white flies/pests. I wasn't surprised to find these around the plant. I've sprayed mine a few times with Safer and am keeping an eye on the plant --- ready to dump it if the situation gets out of control.

Good luck with Mandy!
Molie

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Talk Inside the New York Botanical Garden

Fine Gardening has an article about this, at http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/overwintering-tender-plants.aspx
and Avant Gardens has one at http://gardenforeplay.avantgardensne.com/?p=537

Somewhere I remember seeing one that distinguished between tender perennials that expect to go dormant and true tropicals, which don't, but I can't find that at the moment. Maybe it was on the Logee's web site?

Someone at the school where I used to work overwintered a variety of tropicals in the wide front hallway, just 15' or so from the main front entrance. She had mandevilla, bananas, an orange, and ficus, all in large pots situated under a skylight. They didn't ever look as good in spring as they had in the fall, but were still quite decorative all winter. The hallway stayed relatively cool since the door opened a lot, even though there were double doors, and the heat wasn't set high, perhaps around 60. So I know they don't need a really hot area. It had good light, but not direct sun for much of the winter. Several years the kids had a great time watching the bananas ripen, though I don't think that they were an edible variety.

My friend did this last winter. While it just kind of sat there all winter, it did come back this summer, but it bloomed rather late, like August. It can be done, but it won't bloom until much later than you probably want.

I took a different route and took cuttings instead and grew them over the winter. They bloomed by late July, and grew to a good size. It was easier to manage, I think, and I was able to supplement light during the darker months, and placed them on a sunny windowsill at other times during the day. Much more manageable, size wise.