It isn't just the heat, 7% humidity I think is even worse. For a few years I've been experimenting with marginals and other plants growth in a water tight container. I've been trying to learn what works where. Cannas, Iris and tomato all slowly go down hill through summer in full sun. Pretty ugly, but alive. Much better if shaded part of the day. Too much shade and growth isn't good, few if any blooms. In a perfect world shade could be added in summer and full sun the rest of the year. Tomato was pretty worthless though. Along the line of Egyptian papyrus I've found Umbrella Palm (maybe Cyperus alternifolius or Cyperus involucratus, not sure) did super all summer in full sun. I got it out of a neighbor's yard. A surprising number of marginals are grown here in yards. Many marginals are adapted to store water for lean periods. Following that line I've been using nut sedge with very good results. Bright green, full when planted in mass, all summer full sun. It's a mondograss look alike. I'm trying mint right now and so far so good. Giant Reed, Arundo donax does great. Here some strangeness...I've been growing a several Chilean mesquite trees from seed in 5 gal buckets, clay soil, no drainage. These are watered everyday, but not to the point of standing surface water. When I've removed one from a pot there were roots down to the bottom of the bucket in standing water. Long term I assume some bacteria is going to get the upper hand, but it's been over a year and so far they're doing very well. Same for a few Fan Palms. Elephant's Food, Portulacaria afra doing well in no drainage. And it can be Bonsai. Pencil cactus, Euphorbia tirucalli, (not a real cactus) has done well no drainage. I would try any plant. Cactus is on my todo list. As McKool said, crown above water level for marginals is best, but really true for these non-marginals. And I can't expect these are always going to do great, rot is an issue. But if I can get some good years out of them I'm going for it. Gardening here is like being on another planet. I threw away my Sunset Western Gardener book which I relied on in San Jose CA.

A couple of years ago a few pieces of sedum fell between the rocks on the edges of my stream, they took root and have since spread to anywhere there is a trickle of water from the waterfalls - there's no dirt there, the liner extends several feet past the edge of the stream. I would have thought it would rot since it typically likes it dry. I like the way it softens the rocks.

I'll dig up the camera and get out there tomorrow. Today the little girl (13) from across the street came over with a pal and spent the day riding around on the golf cart, fishing, swimming in the pond, pedaling around on the paddle boat, swimming some more, catching grasshoppers to feed Ole Sam Bass and buddies. Was funny because her little pal decided she had to catch Ole Sam Bass and she put a grasshopper on a hook and got a bite immediately. She reeled in one after another and threw them back of course. She got a 12 incher, an 11 incher and an 8 inch bass then she got tired of catching grasshoppers and put a piece of grass on her hook and threw that in and caught a 15 inch bass lol. They came in worn out and we took them to see Ratatouille at the Drive-in tonight then took them home across the street. They wore me out.. I hope they don't come over too early tomorrow... I will do all I can as long as they keep it up. So good to see them not playing video games or at the mall chasing boys. I'd sure rather see them swimming in the pond trying to drown each other, catching grasshoppers and fishing! Gotta find the camera!

300ga stock tank pond, 3/4 buried in the ground (5'x5'x28"). ~1000gph submerged pump goes to a 60ga DIY skippy-type filter with scrubbies, rocks, and lots of plants on top. Water flows out and down a small stream back to the pond. Six 6-8" goldfish/comet/shebunkins and 1/2 a dozen babies. Spring: Raise the potted plants from the bottom, re-pot and fertilize. Drain ~1/2 the water and clean out any debris on the bottom. Put the plants back in and start up the pump. Fill the skippy and put plants back in it. Buy new oxygenator plants. If the water turns green add prefilter of quilt batting or window screen to pump. Clean once a week for a couple weeks until the plants get growing and the water clears, then remove. Summer: Prune plants and remove yellowing pads as necessary. Remove string algae from the stream once in awhile. Watch so the watercress doesn't plug up the skippy outlet :) Feed the fish 2 or 3 times a week. Fall: Stop feeding fish when water temp Winter: Just before the first snow or hard freezing pull the pump, clean it and store it inside. Drain the skippy and flush it with the hose (this is the only time I 'clean' my skippy). Leave drain plug out for winter. Add air stone and tank heater to pond. This year I'm going to cover 2/3 of the pond with plywood or foam board. Fish stay in it. I have clear water except for ~ 2 weeks in the spring. I try to keep my fish load low and have lots of plants. I rarely have much string algae, my fish seem to like to graze it down. I have a 2nd pond a bit smaller with a 640gph pump and a 1/2 whiskey barrel skippy that I remove all plants and fish from and let freeze for the winter (it's a liner pond and only 18" deep). Otherwise maintenance is the same.