David, I think you will function fine here at All Things Plants; just hang in there and don't hesitate to share your experiences. We all have different climate conditions and sometimes different issues with our indoor and outdoor plants and we try to help each other out as much as possible.
If your indoor temperature remains @ 10ºC (50ºF) without a lot of fluctuation during the day, I think the plants will do just fine. The humidity created by the water filled pebble trays will help increase the temperature a little more around your plants to keep them happy but just remember that during cooler months plants do not require as much water as during the heat of summer. The combination of cold combined with wet can promote fungal infections and I'd reduce water greatly during the cold months.
I will be curious to hear how your totem pole with sawdust glued to the styrofoam works for your Syngonium but I think Syngonium's will attach to and grow on almost any structure! I hope you will share photos when your project is finished.
You might find this page interesting where someone shared their step by step instructios on making a totem pole for a Philodendron to climb on:
The thread "Need climbing stake for my philodendron" in
All Things Gardening forum
And, here you will see photo's from members who've used Coconut Fiber etc:
The thread "Succulent Balls, Globes and Topiary" in
Containers forum
