Thalias would be great for a pond situation. They reliably come back here every year in a zone 7 (there are 2 species I know of, one is cold tolerant to a zone 6a, the other a zone 7a). They are pond plants (although they can and kind of like to dry off every once and a while). Flowers arent too significant but the leaves are very interesting. Cannas are good pond plants too (they dont really like being too submerged though). I really love the look of the black taro elephant ear. Mine bloomed many times last year (But mine goes indoors every winter. They definitely handle frosts with no probelm and even had new growth after low 30s/high 20s. Not a zone 5 plant at all, but maybe it would work well if you heat your pond. Heating your pond might be a really good idea because then you can grow many nice fish and plants. Remember though that you might need a net to cover it during the winter to keep hungry animals out. During the summer months you might want some motion dection sprinklers or something like it to keep animals out. Digging your pond down to maybe 5 or 6 feet will at least keep your fish from freezing if the heater fails and also give them a chance to swim deep down if an animal threatens. Make sure it has lots of rocks and hiding spots if an animal comes. Getting a pond with a heater will really expand your plant choices but you can still grow nice plants in cold ponds that dont freeze Now onto the NON pond plants. Musa basjoo will make a horrible pond plant because bananas only like moisture on hot days and do like to dry out on days that arent warm. During the winter wet soil will be fatal and they will rot (they can even rot during the summer if given too much moisture. I would keep it dry from first frost on and protect it with heat such as x-mas lights. I protect my palms by wrapping my plants with x-mas lights, wrapping a frost cloth around it, putting a digital thermometer under the frost cloth (to monitor temps from the house), and a plastic garbage bin (to keep heat in and water out. It usually brings temps up about 15-20F but it still might need a little more protection in your zone (I wouldnt let it see below 10F to be safe even though it can handle down to 0F). Trachycarpus wagnerius is cold tolerant when older, but will need protection to keep it above 10F just to stay alive and above 15F to keep it looking healthy. Trachycarpus Fortunei (windmill palm), is a bit more cold tolerant. It will need to stay above 15F in its first years, but when established, it can handle down to 10F or 5F with mimimal damage and probably survive 0F). One of mine was sick, but despite that survived in my area with no protection, 3 record snow falls (over a foot of snow each time which is a lot over here) and 14F. It got no damage. Needle palms are pretty cold tolerant, more cold tolerant than windmill palms, and can handle probably around 0 to -5F realisticly when an adult. It could handle lower for very very brief periods and definitely not every winter, but still very cold tolerant. Some people claim that it can handle -20F but that isnt realistic because it cant see those type of temps without protection unless it is very old, in a good spot, and for a very very brief period of time. Yucca rostrata should be okay but given protection below -10F. It might get damage, but Im not sure because the ones by me have never gotten cold damage and are in many peoples landscapes (and I dont live in a desert either). Another nice plant to try would be the eastern prickly pear. This is native to the eastern part of the country from long island (and much farther north as well) into the ohio valley and down to florida. It can survive down to a zone 4 and shouldnt need any protection by you. Mine were in a pot all winter outside and looked a little wrinkled at times, but now has flower buds forming (and it makes giant yellow flowers). Rhodedendrons are very nice evergreens and pretty cold tolerant. They flower in the spring but look good all year long. Wisteria is a nice flowering vine that looks pretty tropical considering that it is very cold tolerant. Its considered a weed here, but a nice weed that grows naturally in forests. The blooms hang down from the plant and it would look good on an arbor as long as it is pruned to a good size. Knockout roses are one of my favoriates. They bloom in my area from now all the way into late november sometimes blooming with a light snow cover. Im not sure how cold tolerant it is, but they should be around as cold tolerant as normal roses. Ostich ferns would look nice bordering a forest and are native to eastern forests. It is cold tolerant to a zone 2 and loses its leaves in the fall. Around here it regains leaves around mid april and quickly reproduces. They actually get a small trunk on them when older, but nothing very noticable. There are lots of others you can also grow. Search some of the plants I named to get more info. As for protection for palms, the palms and cycad forum has some people protecting there palms in cold climates. Good luck!! -Alex

Maybe where the plants are drying out in front of the wall you need more organic material in the soil to hold moisture. otherwise seems like it would be a good microclimate there.

I'm in San Jose... We're more "mediterranean" than "tropical" (like you) - but there're plenty of plants that'll do the trick! I have many of the previously suggested plants in my yard. I'll list some additions - mostly what I consider to be "Bomb-Proof" around here (Hint: If Cal-Trans plants it on median strips along the highway - chances are, you can't kill it! ;-) Hibiscus and Bougainvillea. Great color additions! I have Barbara Karst boug planted next to a bright pink - and quite tall - hibiscus (unfortunately, I don't remember the variety). They compliment each other nicely - and both do very well in hot, dry climates (with soggy cold winters!). We had an extra cold/extra wet winter last year, and I had very few fatalities! Cannas, Bananas, and Calla Lilies - definitely a good bet for that tropical foliage look. Cannas and Bananas will multiply like crazy. Oh, and Alocasia macorrhiza. Limonium (Statice) does well, and the leaves look tropical. And Queen palms do very well with little assistance. I agree on the Mexican Fan Palm - Stay away!!! I like mixing colors w/foliage and enjoy the "purples" against lighter greens. Some of the cannas are good for that. I also use Purple Majesty Ornamental Millet and Purple Fountain Grass. The "plumes" aren't so tropical - but I like the purple colors (and they both seem to thrive with little care). Another (drought-friendly) choice is New Zealand Flax which also comes in a bronzy-burgundy color. But it gets pretty big. Purple foliage against chartreuse is *really* nice. Ipomoea "Margarita" is a good choice for the chartreuse (Annual, though). Purple Fountain Grass at the base of clumps of banana trees looks cool... My yard is appx 85% Full-Sun (with little water in the summer) so I haven't had luck with things that don't like full-sun. Ergo Fatsia Japonica (it just gets fried!). Other ideas: If you happen upon any tropical plant sales (i.e. WalMart 4-inchers) - when they're cheap, I try to load up on tropical houseplants and stick 'em out in the yard (in the slightly wetter/slightly shadier spots) and treat 'em as annuals. I've had varying degrees of success w/that (my spider plants are thriving - and this is their 2nd year outdoors). I certainly wouldn't recommend planting the entire yard w/house-plants, but sprinkling them about seems to add a nice touch. Some of my houseplants go out in the summer, and back in in the winter, but the house is too small/dark to do that with very many plants. I have a portable greenhouse that goes up in winter - but only provides "marginal" protection. Hint for winter: Mulch Mulch Mulch!!! I'm posting a link to my Garden Page. I haven't updated it in awhile (That's a "Wintertime Chore"), but it might give you some ideas of what will grow around here - and what looks can be achieved. Weather's been too nice for me to spend much time on updates! I've got a BUNCH of pics in the camera (amazing to look back and see how much stuff has "grown!") - I just need to update the page... Soon... (But not *too* soon! I'm lovin' the warm weather too much!) HTH -Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: IMQTPI's Garden Photos

One way to get more of the books you want is to start requesting books appropriate to your climate through interlibrary loan, especially new books. They will have to order the new ones and the others will cause them to take a look at what's being requested. A more direct approach would be to ask to speak with the librarian who orders books and tactfully point out just what you said above. All librarians are not gardeners. Yours probably doesn't know the difference -- just orders what's new in the trade. Do your homework before you go, so you'll have a list of appropriate suggestions. After I borrowed the Iverson book from our library, I finally bought it at discount (did a search) for not many dollars. Nell