This is great! I recently planted some impatience in flat long Tupperware containers that I drilled holes in. I'm not sure if the container will be big enough for the roots to last all summer so this will solve that problem! AND I didn't realize I could just bring them in in the winter and they would survive. I was going to toss them...yikes! Once I bring them in do I have to water them? Should I wait until they become dormant and the cold dies them back?

Marigene, I have an old gardening book published in 1901 and it's amazing how many of today's favorite houseplants were being grown then. Fun to speculate how many cuttings were passed along and probably still thriving somewhere today from still other cuttings. But to have an original plant 80 years old...just think of all the care and watering through all those years. Your Prayer Plant (Maranta?) is a little fussier so it's surprising it made it through those times when, if like my plants in that family, it sulks or gets brown edging on leaves. I have learned though to cut back on watering and even if it dies back it will recover from roots. The Haworthia I haven't grown but, again, I'm really impressed with its age. Thanks for sharing the story of your plants..josh

Here's some info & images which might help you decide. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/aspbeetle.html Here is a link that might be useful: info from NCSU

Riding 4 Life: Forgive my short answer. You had so many broad-stroke needs, I thought it best to suggest a book, the best book, on the subject so that yo can have a proper starting point. (By the way, the Sunset Western Garden Book would tell you that lemon grass is not hardy in Zone 14.) Here's a semi-short list of proven plants for Zone 14. These will take your blinding sun, your hot summers and your cold winters. Medium to Large Trees -- Cedrus deodara DEODAR CEDAR Cedrus libanii atlantica ATLAS CEDAR Gleditsia triacanthos inermis THORNLESS HONEY LOCUST Pinus brutia/eldarica AFGHAN PINES Pinus pinea ITALIAN STONE PINE Platanus x acerifolia LONDON PLANE TREE Zelkova serrata SAW-LEAF ZELKOVA Small to Medium Trees -- Aesculus x carnea RED HORSECHESTNUT Brahea armata MEXICAN BLUE HESPER PALM Butia capitata BLUE PINDO PALM Cercidium floridum BLUE PALO VERDE Cercis siliquastrum JUDAS TREE x Chitalpa tashkentensis CHILTALPA Eucalyptus polyanthemos SILVER DOLLAR GUM Juniperus scopulorum Tolleson's Blue Weeping BLUE WEEPING JUNIPER Koelreuteria elegans FLAMEGOLD Koelreuteria paniculata GOLDENRAIN TREE Lagerstroemia (standard) CRAPE MYRTLES Melia azedarach CHINA BERRY Olea europaea OLIVE Parkinsonia aculeata MEXICAN PALO VERDE Pistacia chinensis CHINESE PISTACHE Sophora japonica Regent JAPANESE PAGODA TREE Trachycarpus fortunei WINDMILL PALM Ziziphus jujuba JUJUBE, CHINESE DATE Trees to create fast shade -- Acer truncatum SHANTUNG MAPLE Gleditsia triacanthos inermis (esp. Shademaster, Skyline) HONEY LOCUST Melia azedarach CHINA BERRY Populus fremontii FREMONT COTTONWOOD Pyrus calleryana (esp. Aristocrat, Bradford, Holmford, Trinity) CALLERY PEAR Ulmus parvifolia CHINESE ELM Zelkova serrata SAWLEAF ZELKOVA Large Shrubs -- Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Caesalpinia pulcherrima BARBADOS PRIDE, RED BIRD-OF-PARADISE Callistemon citrinus LEMON BOTTLEBRUSH Dodonaea viscosa PURPLE HOPBUSH Ilex x altaclarensis Wilsonii WILSON HOLLY Juniperus (many) JUNIPERS Punica granatum Legrellei, Nochi Shibori, Tanyosho ORNAMENTAL POMEGRANATES Rhaphiolepis Majestic Beauty M. B. INDIAN HAWTHORNE Vitex agnus-castus CHASTE TREE Small to Medium Shrubs -- Abelia x grandiflora ABELIA Leucophyllum frutescens TEXAS RANGER Myrtus communis ROMAN MYRTLE Nandina domestica HEAVENLY BAMBOO Nerium oleander "Petite" series OLEANDER Rosmarinus officinalis ROSEMARY Senna (Cassia) artemisioides FEATHERY CASSIA Senna wislizenii SHRUBBY SENNA Teucrium fruticans BUSH GERMANDER Twining Vines -- Akebia quinata FIVELEAF AKEBIA Gelsemium sempervirens CAROLINA JESSAMINE Muehlenbeckia complexa MATTRESS VINE, WIRE VINE Solanum jasminoides WHITE POTATO VINE Wisteria (many kinds) WISTERIA Tendril Vines -- Vitis californica Rogers Red, Walker Ridge RED-LEAF CALIFORNIA GRAPE Vitis coignetiae CRIMSON GLORY VINE Vitis vinifera Purpurea PURPLE-LEAF GRAPE Tendril-Clinging Vines -- * for wrapping onto small-mesh fencing or for "clinging" onto any very rough surface Bignonia capreolata CROSSVINE Campsis x tagliabuana* TRUMPET CREEPER Macfadyena unguis-cati* CATS-CLAW Disk-Clinging Vines -- Parthenocissus henryana SILVERVEIN CREEPER Parthenocissus quinquefolia VIRGINIA CREEPER Parthenocissus tricuspidata BOSTON IVY Clambering/Scrambling Vines -- Rosa banksiae LADY BANKS ROSE Rosa Cecile Brunner SWEETHEART ROSE Rosa x Mermaid MERMAID ROSE Rosa Absolutely, Jeanne Lajoie, Nozomi Red Cascade, Work of Art MINIATURE CLIMBING ROSES Ground Covers -- Baccharis pilularis Twin Peaks TRAILING COYOTE BRUSH Gazania rigens leucolaena GAZANIA Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii BLUE CARPET JUNIPER Rosmarinus officinalis (trailing types) CREEPING ROSEMARY Trachelospermum asiaticum ASIATIC JESSAMINE Vinca minor SMALL PERIWINKLE Perennials Achillea Moonshine MOONSHINE YARROW Achillea fillipendulina WOOLY YARROW Achillea hybrids HYBRID YARROWS Agastache aurantiaca ORANGE HYSSOP-MINT Agastache hybrids (many) HYBRID HYSSOP-MINTS Agastache rupestris SUNSET HYSSOP Agave parryi PARRYS CENTURY PLANT Agave shawii SHAWS CENTURY PLANT Artemisia Powis Castle WORMWOOD Dasylirion wheeleri DESERT SPOON Dasylirion wheeleri DESERT SPOON Dietes FORTNIGHT LILY Euphorbia characias wulfenii CHARTREUSE EUPHORBIA Euphorbia myrsinites BLUE EUPHORBIA Euphorbia rigida MEDITERRANEAN EUPHORBIA Euphorbia x martinii RED EUPHORBIA Helianthemum nummularium SUN ROSE Helictotrichon sempervirens BLUE OAT GRASS Hemerocallis DAYLILIES Hesperaloe parviflora RED YUCCA Muhlenbergia dumosa BAMBOO MUHLY Nepeta Six Hills Giant GIANT CATMINT Nepeta racemosa Walkers Low CATMINT Nepeta x faassenii CATMINT Opuntia violacea santa-rita BLUE-BLADE Penstemon eatonii FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON Penstemon palmeri PALMER BEARDTONGUE Penstemon pseudospectabilis DESERT BEARDTONGUE Phlomis russeliana HARDY JERUSALEM-SAGE Phygelius hybrids CAPE FUCHSIA Pyrethropsis hosmariense MT. ATLAS DAISY Ruellia brittoniana MEXICAN BLUEBELL, DESERT PETUNIA Salvia chamaedryoides GERMANDER SAGE Stachys albotomentosa HIDALGO Verbena rigida SANDPAPER VERBENA Verbena tenuisecta MOSS VERBENA As for barrier (thorny) plants: Agave parryi, shawii SMALLER AGAVES Berberis buxifolia MAGELLAN BARBERRY Berberis darwinii DARWIN BARBERRY Berberis julianae WINTERGREEN BARBERRY Berberis nevinii NEVIN'S BARBERRY Chaenomeles (tall types) FLOWERING QUINCE Ilex x altaclarensis Wilsoni WILSONS HOLLY Opuntia ficus-indica PRICKLY PEAR Pyracantha (many) FIRETHORN Ribes speciosa FUCHSIA-FLOWERING GOOSEBERRY Rosa laevigata CHEROKEE ROSE Rose "Simplicity" Series SIMPLICITY ROSE Rose Pearl Sevillana (shrub; semi-double pearly white/cream) Rosa californica Elsie (native; single magenta-pink) Rose Wildberry Breeze (hybrid rugosa; mauve blend) Rose Wild Spice (rugosa hybrid; single white/blush) Ziziphus jujuba JUJUBE, CHINESE DATE Joe