Another reason to bring in the plants is that our deck needs to be power washed and sanded and then a new coat of paint before winter temps get here. We just have to find a contractor to do it.
Last Spring, I did the deck power wash and stain .. still looks great, but stain is always finite these days .. you can expect maybe 3 years out of it no matter how expensive the stain or what the can says ..
Dragging deck plants in and out every Spring and Fall is, perhaps, one of the most unlooked forward to things I do .. in fact, seriously thinking of selling them all and getting fake plants .. I've got plants that are at least 20 years old in some instances .. and all the others I've propagated off them .. it's a chore ..