Your set up looks great I am using shade cloth as I am also growing outdoors in Queensland Australia which has a sub tropical climate which is about 32c now with humidity. I must do something like yours. At present I am growing outside along two walls of my house which throws off ambient heat which I try to control by using shade cloth. The attached photo is my own improvised ebb and flow which I have been using successfully for years with tomatoes. The other side of my house has my Kratky floating raft with lettuce and several DWC containers with asian vegetables , and silver beet. In the far distance is my vertical system which I retrieved from under my house that I have not used for years, which I have also improvised in conjunction with my ebb and flow to flow back to the reservoir.Nothing growing at present but Bok Choy etc do very well except growing with tomatoes is the incorrect nutrient strength so maybe next crop I will figure something out.

Yes, some sort of dark leaved, hardy, upright sedum (now Hylotelephium). There are literally hundreds of cultivars.

How about using it as a chalkboard wall? I like the idea of having the chalkboard framed on the wall so it looks more like a picture than just a whole wall of chaulkboard paint.

I don't see why the stems would stay Pokey sInce I would grind those in my little great old coffee grinder.. the leaves I put inn Jars when finished air drying Thanks y'all PS... Just say no to the ones who want us not to enjoy the fruit of our labor.