There are two gardens near me with banana trees, which always surprise me. I like the "spike monster" the best I think. I would have to do some serious soil amending to grow most of the cold hardy yuccas and agaves here, but they sure are interesting.

I'm looking forward to seeing how your garden develops, thanks for sharing the slide show.

Kent

Thanks for the kudos and no, palm trees do not have invasive or strong enough roots to hurt your foundation. Hardwood trees on the other hand can be dangerous to the foundation in some cases. I find the garden looks best in the summer and early fall, but this year is the first year so it is hard to gauge.