I am in the deep south, and mine are outside in a container. I don't see why you couldn't, as long as you have lots of sun for them. They do go through a dormant period and look real ugly, but give it a try.
My mom overwinters them. Like Catgass mentioned, they go through an ugly stage, but come but nicely. I like to mix them with cone flowers since they will come back and look similar. Then I just add some new Gerber's to the pot each year. It just depends on your priorities and how much room you have to overwinter.