Man,thats just plain cheating to top my palms of Hayward! Maybe because I've never been to the tropics, I'm sort of the type that is just as impressed as seeing what I know here as borderline or house plants that are just grown to huge sizes and perfection in Hawaii as I am over what I have never seen outside in California. Some-many- exceptions to that rule for sure-flowering tree's,epiphytes, or even Breadfruit tree I havent even seen in greenhouses are eye popppers in tropical photos. But,show those huge Monstera's and its breathtaking...

Jim, Thanks for the comments. In my opinion, you can never start too early on figuring out how you will protect your palms for the winter. With two somewhat-tender washingtonia robustas in the ground, I don't want to take any chances on losing them, so going all out is the only way to go. I wanted to build a structure that could both keep in heat and still let in sunlight so they aren't absent of sun all winter. When they get bigger, though, I'm probably going to resort to cutting off the fans and wrapping it up like iowapalms did. There's no way I'm erecting a 10 ft greenhouse over it. It will be a challenge though with the butia capitata and the trachycarpus fortunei though as they grow, because I don't think cutting their fronds off in the winter is an option. So I'll probably have to mulch extremely heavily, and tie up the fronds and wrap them with X-MAS lights the best I can, but that's a few years down the road, so no need to worry yet. Most nights here are above 10F in the winter because of the close proximity to Lake Michigan. I only get a few around zero each winter.

Awesome looking yard!! Thanks for the update! What kind of cannas are those. Im bought omega and intrigue in Late august to put in the ground this spring. They havent grown much so Im hoping that when spring comes they do actually grow and they dont sit there and wither away. The cactus, Majesty palm, Dioons, Norfolk Island pine, and everything else, all look really healthy! What are your plans for the Dioons once they go indoors? I just took mine inside today into the garage. It very very rarely goes below freezing (I think only 2 times in the last 10 years), but there isnt any sun and it is cold. Im trying to prevent it from flushing until spring because my sago palm has a terrible habit of flushing when indoors (even in bad conditions). Good luck! Hopefully there wont be a frost tonight!! -Alex

It isn't a night scented jasmine either according to the employess there. In fact they sell tons of cuttings to the night time blooming ones..It is something else, and I will find out hopefully by the end of the day...Tyhe fragrance emits all day too... I like the idea of trying to root it.Thanks alot everyone still... Mike