Right from day one we decided no grass/lawn here. We don't have a free water source so it is all metered, and as last year's bill was over £1000 (remember, that's with no lawn to water) it was time to do something. Do miss the smell of newmown lawn though! Our garden faces due south and we have a small mountain going up into the hills behind us and we have the Pyrenees about 15 kilometres away.( I'm laying in the sun looking at the mountains as I type - there is a light dusting of snow on the summit and it looks like a proper mountain!It's warm today - about 20C) We very rarely have severe frost, but we do occasionally get snow for a day or two and we normally have spring and autumnal rain. We get very strong winds year round and this dries out the ground and crisps up large leaved plants. A lot of these dry garden plants will tolerate -10 to -15C so as long as they are well drained and don't sit in puddles they should be fine. We have bought plants that fall well inside the weather ranges here. Have a look at the website I mentioned earlier and you'll get some more info. He supplies mail order, but nothing beats going there and having a look at what he's done. We've bought cistes, sages, epilobiums, tulbaghia, callistemon, pittosporum, oenothera, grasses, sesbania, agapanthus and shed loads of succulents, tecomaria (same family as campsis) abutilon, and these have replaced the previous water thirsty tennants. Still got more to plant but going out for a walk today instead.