If you've ever longed for a home in the tropics but just couldn't make it happen, perhaps you should try converting your current landscape into that tropical paradise. With a little effort you might just be able to grow a few palms of your very own. Some palms are actually quite cold-hardy and routinely endure sub-freezing temperatures. One species, the needle palm, has even withstood temperatures as low as -20°F. With some protection, even the less-hardy palms can pull through a cold winter. And, the toughest palm may need no protection at all! So experiment a little and see if you can turn that ho-hum landscape into a tropical paradise.

Some palms to try in your tropical paradise:

• Rhapidophyllum hystrix - Needle Palm
• Sabal minor - Dwarf Palmetto
• Trachycarpus takil - Kumaon Palm
• Trachycarpus latisectus - Windamere Palm
• Trachycarpus wagnerianus - Miniature Chusan Palm
• Trachycarpus fortunei - Chinese Windmill Palm
• Serenoa repens - Saw Palmetto
• Nannorrhops ritchiana - Mazari Palm