I know it's a response years too late, but I thought I would add to this for the sake of anyone researching in the future. ;) I have a large crape myrtle that I took an air layering from. I used the ring method and wrapped int in a split nursery pot filled with soil. I've read that sphagnum moss will work well too. In about a month or so I had a nice bunch of roots. My new layer has long been removed and the new tree has done very well. Here is a link that might be useful: Merc Consulting: Web Development for the Business Wolrd

I don't know about crepy or crepe myrtles, but there are crape myrtles that come pretty close to what you want. __ 'Catawba' grows around 12 to 15 feet tall, has relatively dark violet-purple flowers, and has good powdery mildew resistance. 'Zuni' grows 9 to 12 feet tall, has medium purple flowers, and has excellent powdery mildew resistance. __ 'Christiana' grows around 8 to 10 feet tall, has relatively dark red flowers, and has fair powdery mildew resistance. 'Mandi' grows around 6 to 12 feet tall, has red flowers, and has fair powdery mildew resistance. 'Whit II' (Dynamite) grows around 15 feet tall, has cherry-red flowers, and has excellent powdery mildew resistance. 'Whit IV' (Red Rocket) grows around 15 feet tall, has cherry-red flowers, and has excellent powdery mildew and anthracnose resistance. 'Whit VII' (Siren Red) grows around 10 feet tall, has oxblood-red flowers, and has excellent powdery mildew resistance.

I used to live in Georgetown so know how hot it gets. I think Mike's suggestion of arbors is excellent. You could also consider a couple of crepe myrtle trees - White Natchez crepe myrtle is a tree that can take alot of punishment and survive well and bloom in the summer. The Natchez has a really pretty arching form and can give some height and interest to the wall and perhaps a bit of shade to the roses. In back of my horse barn in an area with all day hot sun, I have crepe myrtles and old garden roses [Maman Cochet, Mrs. BR Cant, Mon. Tillier, Mme. Berkeley, Georgetown Tea] planted together - the effect is beautiful. I have differing colors of the crepe myrtles - lavender [here is where you could include your lavender color], hot pink, light pink, white, red - really is striking in the hot summer when the roses are resting. I have also found that it really is true that mulching is important. I mulch my roses with horse compost then topdress with wood mulch from Home Depot. The roses thrive - the ones I didnt mulch dont look nearly as good. My suggestion would be to plant old garden roses first - and I also highly recommend the Antique Rose Emporium and Chamblees. I was just at ARE - bought several of the Pioneer roses that are supposed to be really tough. Also, I would like to recommend the Buck roses. Carefree Beauty is a good one. There are many other good ones - Eutin is a red that has literally hundreds of buds on it - really an eyecatcher. The noisettes - and I adore Crepuscule! - are very hardy. The ARE had a store in San Antonio, now closed, but I would call P.K. at the Independence store - tell her your growing conditions, and let her recommend. Get their color catalog and look that over. I think the really important thing for first year roses is to mulch and water. I did that with my above mentioned bed - now I never water them and they are fabulous. If you dont have much experience with roses, you will succeed with the old gardens - then branch out to the hybrid teas if you like. If you built an arbor, you might have some luck growing a couple of the Austin roses under it where they can get a bit of shade. A couple of tough reds are Cadenza and Cameron Bohls. I have both and love them. Dont forget about the Lady Banksia rose - both white and creamy yellow. They are marvelous in the spring. New Dawn should do well also. From what I recall of soil in your area - be sure and dig a big hole and incorporate good soil with the native soil. I have also heard - bought some, going to try it next time I plant - that a cupful of shale, which holds then releases water, is good to put in the hole of roses growing in dry hot areas. Good luck! Love the limestone on your house....

...I view this yard as a good way to learn. I haven't changed my position, but against my better judgment, I'm willing to guess if you are. A drop in pH from 8 to 7.1 and a 30% increase in calcium is not what one would expect. Normally for a high pH soil, an ammonium acetate test is recommended for accurate Ca numbers and an accurate TEC estimate. But the error is considered so small that it is not recommended if pH is 7.2 or below. (see the Quit It" thread for an explanation). So which is it here? Is there a substantial amount of free calcium (read as unbound Ca) that is not present as calcium carbonate (which is also present here) or as gypsum (16ppm Sulfur is a fair amount, but, I don't believe it is enough to account for all the calcium that would need be tied up as gypsum)? pH: It's not unusually for fairly large discrepancies in pH to occur in acidic soils depending on a number of factors, but primarily occurs when testing is done at different times of the year. Although I suppose possible, large swings are not as common in calcareous soils. So pH 7.1 to 8.0. Raising pH is doable, lowering pH is not usually realistic. So other than informing us how available nutrients might be, you're pretty much stuck with a high/higher pH whatever it might really be. TEC: 107 and 166. Possibly in a highly organic soil (bog) but not in a mineral soil. There is a test for determining (measuring) TEC rather than estimating it, but it's $50 or so. A particle analysis might help in narrowing it down to a range, but they aren't cheap either. Pick a number. Really doesn't matter on a calcareous soil, not going move things around anyway. So no BCSR analysis. Only use here would be in determining how fast things will move through the soil. So where are we so far? pH is somwhere above 7, and based on the likely TEC, nothing can be done about lowering it. TEC is totally unknown and with the amount of calcium in the soil, BCSR (saturation ratios/%) is totally useless. What you can do is look at the sufficiency levels and do your best to supply the grass with at least the bare minimums. Compare your two tests and consider what you applied between them and come up with a plan. Post it and I'll help you adjust it to avoid any over (or under) applications. Hint: Where did all that phosphorous you applied go? Maybe dchall can help with that and adjust sources and timing. PH: 6.0-6.9 pH has a strong influence on the availability of nutrients and the health/population of microorganisms. Most common target for turf soil is slightly above the middle 6.6 to 6.8. TEC/CEC: Reflects the capacity of the soil to hold cation elements (most importantly, plant nutrients) in reserve. For the most part, it is what it is although adding organic matter can eventually raise it very slightly (putting lipstick on a pig). Organic matter: 3% to 10% Source of nutrients (dust to dust), important for soil structure and moisture retention. Most common target is 5-6%. The ranges for the following have been tailored to reflect the units reported in the LL Soil Test. The ranges encompass the amounts consider sufficient for a healthy, aesthetically pleasing turf. Values below the minimum have been found to be deficient and make for unhealthy turf that exhibits observable plant issues from unattractive appearance to malformed leaves and roots. Starting at the midpoint, the closer the value is to the low end of the range, the more likely an addition of a nutrient will have a positive (observable) affect on the turf. The closer a value is to the high end of the range from the midpoint, the less likely an addition of a nutrient is to make any improvement. A value above the high end is considered excessive and at some point may/can/will have a detrimental affect on the turf: Phosphorus: (range 116-260 lbs/ac of P205) Most common target is 200 lbs. Sulfur: (range 9 to 40ppm although no known max value has been found detrimental) Most common target is 15-40 ppm. The following are cations and capable of attaching/holding to a TEC site. In addition to considering the sufficiency ranges, the saturation ratios and percentages should also be considered to avoid imbalances and avoid adverse interactions that are detrimental to the turf: Calcium: (700+ lbs/ac to unknown) Ca/Mg ratio range: can vary greatly without detriment to plant health. Recommended ratio range is 5:1 to 10:1. Ca Saturation: (60-85%) To be considered in conjunction with Mg saturation percentages, Ca:Mg ratios and sufficiency level values. Magnesium: (range 100-600 lbs/ac) Mg Saturation: (6-20%) To be considered in conjunction with Ca and recommended Ca:Mg ratios, saturation percentages and sufficiency level values. Potassium: (range 100-440 lbs/ac) Common target is 220 to 360 lbs/ac K Saturation: (2-7%) To be considered in conjunction with Potassium (K) recommended sufficiency level values. most common target 4-5%. Sodium and Sodium Saturation: Not considered a nutrient but some sodium is likely beneficial to the turf. (Range 0.5-3.0%) less than 110 ppm and less than 5% of base saturation, otherwise very poor soil structure is likely. I usually don't address micronutrients as they are almost never deficient as to cause issues with turf and the chance for misapplication is high. However, as you have already addressed Boron and Copper, the common optimum range for Boron is 0.5 to 1.5 ppm, and Copper is 0.5 to 2.0.