This site is Awesome for plant info
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/ i dont think i have seen a plant thats not listed in there.
The background is just sandstone siliconed to the back of the tank. I did that to all of my freshwater tanks, some I made out of concrete but by far the easiest and best looking is to just go to a landscaping place and pick out some nice thin slate then silicone it. For a small tank you might pay $5 or $10. Just be sure they cant get trapped in behind the rock.