If you need rose supplies, fertilizer, etc. try Southwest Fertilizer on Bissonet. It is a fantastic store! You can get Mills Magic Rose Mix......all sorts of stuff. The Arbor Gate in Spring, near Houston, is neat. I always go to Teas in the Spring....they have roses on sale. They have a huge selection of roses and the last time I went they all looked good. I would say its worth a visit. I am a member of the Houston Rose Society - email me if you would like info on some of their members - perhaps they would be able to help you. If you are traveling up around Tyler....I strongly suggest Chamblees Roses, The Blue Moon Garden, and if you want to travel a bit out of Houston......The Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham is a must see......and the town is adorable. Actually......I would plan this trip, their display gardens are gorgeous. I am planning a trip there myself as soon as my halloween party weekend is over.......going back to Chamblees too. Judith

It is certainly NOT Hibiscus coccineus,, the Red Texas Star hibiscus. I'm virtually positive it's not a hibiscus at all. NEVER smoke, or otherwise ingest any unknown plant. It could be toxic, even deadly!

I just spent considerable time trying to ascertain the effects of high temps on different peppers, both "hot" and "sweet". That thread is just below and is titled; "How will extreme heat and high humidity effect my peppers?" Most seem to agree that the bells are tough to grow in the hottest part of summer. I just purchased some seed of the "bell type" Keystone Giant. The feed-store guy was confident they would perform in the heat. It's only seeds-n-time! And water, fertilizer, compost,.. did I mention time? We're not supposed to discuss a whole lot about "Other Vegetables" here in pepper land. So here's the short version; These should do well for you; Cucumbers, melons, okra, peas, amaranth, collards, eggplant (the long, skinny oriental types are more productive in heat). Others include Jerusalem artichokes, Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach, peanuts, hot peppers, and sweet peppers like Banana, Gypsy and Cubanelle should perform better than the bell types. Sweet potatoes enjoy the heat along with Swiss chard (with some shade), tomatillo and tomato. There are now many specific heat-tolerant tomatoes such as Heatwave, Solar Set and Sunleaper.... The Yardlong bean (asparagus bean) flourishes in the heat of summer and is as unusual as it is delicious. Of course, you should check with your local Cooperative Extention Service for more info. For more "other vegetable" questions, go to "Vegetable Gardening". Click on my username, then my "trade list" and email me with something you'd like to have, your address and, I'll send it to you New Guy. Ray

Thanks all of you for your suggestions. I found some white kennebec at Shoal Creek Nursery in Austin. Then I went to Central Market and bought two types of blue potatoes and a small creamer type. They're now in a paper bag in my pantry -- we'll see if they sprout. Then after I plant them, we'll see if they can take the warm Texas spring. The potatogarden website looks interesting. Their red viking variety looks like what I usually buy at Buck Moore (which is on North Lamar). In May, I'll try to remember to let y'all know how everything turns out. Happy planting!