While hot summers won't be a problem, you might experince some problems during winter. Semps do need winter rest, and they are quite capable of surviving minus 20 degrees celsius under a mether of snow. Mild winters have a different affect on them. Give them water from time to time, when the rosettes close up. I myself am zone 4 or saomething like that, have more than 1.200 different semps. While some are unknown / lost labeled, I also have named species and cultivars. Here's the list of my semps & jovis. Will have first year's chicks for exchange in late August (preferably September). SEMPERVIVUM CULTIVARS: ACHALM ALCHIMIST ALI ALICE ALINE ALMAROOS ALPHA AMETHYST ANAK KRAKATAU ANDRENOR ANTERICUM ANTJE APACHE APOLLO APPLE BLOSSOM ARNO ASHES OF ROSES ASTRID ATHEN ATLANTIS AUREUM AYMON CORREVON BANDI BARBOURY COAST BARONESSE BEAUTIFUL BEDIVERE BELLADONNA BETSY BLACK PRINCE BLARI BLOOD TIP BLUE BOY BLUE ICE BLUE LIGHT BLUE MOON BLUSHING BOROMIR BRAND NEW HEAVIES BRAUNBÄR BRAUNKUGEL BRITTA BRONCO BRONZE PASTEL BROWN FLUSH BROWN OWL BUTTERBUR BUTTERFLY CANCER (synonim CORONA) CANDY FLOSS CARUSO CASABLANCA CASAS CORQUE (maybe CANSAS GORGE) CASCADE CASSIOPEA CENTURIAN CHAROKEE CHERRY TART CHOCOLATE (A. Smith S. marmoreum Bruneifolium dark form) CLARE CLEVELAND MORGAN COLIMA COLLECTOR ANCHISII COMMANDER HAY CONO CORONA (see: CANCER) CORONET CORREVON CORSAIR CRESTA CRIPELLO CROWS CUPREOIDES CYRHAM DAKOTA DANIELLA DARK BEAUTY DARK POINT DEGENIANUM (wrong for S. x degenianum) DELTA DESDEMONA DIANE DIMBORO DIRECTOR JACOBS DISCO DOWNLAND QUEEN DR. ZONNEVELD DRAGONESS DUKE OF WINDSOR DUNKEL ROT EBERTINA EIGI EISBÄR EL MISTI ELANIE ELENA ELISABETH ELVA EMMELINE EPENDA EREBUS ERONGO ESTELLE EUGENIA EXCALIBUR EXCELENCE EXORNA FEUERRAD FILOU FIREFLY FLAMING HEART FLASHER FLOWER POWER FONTANAE FORD GIANT FORD'S AMABILITY FORD'S GIANT FORD'S SPRING FRODO FUEGO FUZZY WUZZY GALAHAD GALAXIS GAMMA GAY JESTER GAY SESTER (?) GELINA GIMSON VELVET GIUSEPII GLACIER GLORIOSUM GODDEDARD GOLD AUB GOLIATH GOLLUM GRANAT GRAUGONG GRAUPURPUR GREEN APPLE GREEN CAVO GREEN GABLES GREY DAWN GREY LADY GREY OWL GREY VELVET GRÜNRAND GRÜNSPAN GUNTHER GUISEPPI GYPSY HABANNA HAIDE HALEMAUMAU HANS HAPPY BIRTHDAY HART HAULLAUER´S SEEDLING HAVENDIJKER ABENDROT HAVENDIJKER FEST HAVENDIJKER KAI HAVENDIJKER KIRMES HAVENDIJKER KLAUSNER HAVENDIJKER LEGION HAVENDIJKER LEONARD HAVENDIJKER LOHE HAVENDIJKER SPLITT HAVENDIJKER TEUFEL HAVENDIJKS BEUTE HAVENDIJKS FLUSH HAVENDIJKS GIANT HAVENDIJKS NEXT HAVENDIJKS PERFECTION HAVENDIJKS BEAR HAVENDIJKS BEAUTY HAVENDIJKS BLACK HAVENDIJKS BRONZE HAVENDIJKS BRUNETTE HAVENDIJKS CRIMSON HAVENDIJKS DIAMANT HAVENDIJKS FIRE HAVENDIJKS FIRST HAVENDIJKS FIRST WEB HAVENDIJKS KNIGHT HAVENDIJKS LEOPARD HAVENDIJKS MILKY WAY HAVENDIJKS MILLENNIUM HAVENDIJKS MIST HAVENDIJKS MOUNTAIN HAVENDIJKS NR. 1 HAVENDIJKS NR. 4 HAVENDIJKS PRIDE HAVENDIJKS RED HAVENDIJKS SPRING HAVENDIJKS WEB HAYLING HEIDI HEIGHAM RED HEIKO HEKLA HERMANN NAPFEL HEY-HEY HOOKERI HUNSRÜCK HYDRA ICICLE INCA IPF IRAZU IROKESE ISABELLA IWO JANKO & IRENKA JET STREAM JEWEL CASE JUBILEE JUPP JUPPITER JURRINA KANSAS KAPPA KASSIKAPP KATINGA KATMAI KELPONE KELUT KIARA KIBO KIKI KIMONO KING GEORGE KINSEAR KIP KOBAYASHI RED KOHALA KOSMODIO KRAFLA KRAMER'S SPINRAD KRATER KUGELBLITZ KYLIE MINOGUE LADY KELLY LAMOTTEI LANCELOT LAVANDER AND OLD LACE LEE LEGOLAS LEOCADIA'S NEPHEW LIESBETH LILAC TIME LIME LIGHT LIPARI LIPSTICK LIVELY BUG LOTT LOTT LÖWENHERZ LYRA MAHOGANY MAIGRET MAJESTIC MAJOR MAKABOE MANUEL MARA MARELLA MARMOREUM MARSALA MAUNA KEA MAUNA LOA MAX FREI MAYA MECKI MELANIE MENUET MERKUR META MIGNON MISTI MOLLY MONTE SICO MOUNT HOOD MYSTIC NADELLA NATHAN NAVAJO NEMRUT DAG NEPTUNE NEVIS NICO NIDAS NIGHT RAVEN NIOBE NOBBE NOCTURNO NOIR NORA ODITTY OHIO BURGUNDY OLD ROSE OLIVETTE ORDENSTERN ORION ORIZABA OTHELLO PACIFIC BLUE ICE PACIFIC DEVELS FOOD PACIFIC HAIRY HEP PACIFIC RED ROSE PACIFIC RIM PACIFIC SEXY PACIFIC SHADOWS PACKARDIAN PAGRO PALLAS PAMIR PANAREA PANDA PARICUTIN PATRAS PATRICIAN PAX PEKINESE PESCADO PETIT RENEE PFEFERKUCHEN PILTI PINGO PINK JENNY PIPPIN PIRI PITON PLAMENY PLUMB ROSE PROUD ZELDA PRUHONICE PURDY PURDY'S 80-5 PURDY'S 90-1 QUAX RACEY RAMESIS RASPBERRY ICE RAUCHER KÜLM RAUHREIF RED ACE RED CHIEF RED DELTA RED DEMON RED WINGS REGIS FERNANDII REINHARD RENATA RHEIN KIESEL RHONE RIHAMA RITA JANE ROBIN ROHNSDORF HYBRID ROMANZE RONNY RONSDORF ROTER ZWERG ROTKOPF ROTMANTEL ROTSANDERSTEINRIESE ROTSTRAHL ROYAL OPERA RUBENS RUBIN from Freehsdorf RUBRA ASH RUSTY SABINA SAITAMA SANCY SEEROSENSTERN SEMINOLE SHAMPOO SHAURI SHIRLEY JOY SHIRLEY'S JOY SIGI SILBERCARNEOL SILBERSPITZ SILVER SONG SILVER THAW SIOUX SIR WILLIAM LAWRENCE SMARAGD SMOKEY SMOKEY JET SPANISH DANCER SPHERETTE SPONDIAS SPONNIER SPRITE STARSHINE STERNSCHNUPPE STETSON ST. HELRNS STRIDER SULTAN SUPRISE SUPER DOME SYLVIA TAARA TITANIA TECK TEDERHEID TEIDE TERRACOTA BABY TIP TOP TITANIA TOPAZ TOURMALINE T'POL TRACI SUE TRISTAN TRIUMPH UTOPIAN VAIKE VICTORIAN VILLOSUM VIOLASCENS VIOLETTA VIRGIL VITI VLADO WALPURGE WASCBÄR WEEPSAKE WEISSE FEDER WHITENING WICHITA WINTER BEAUTY WOLCOTS VARIETY XERXES YOLANDA ZELCA ZHANE ZILVER FOX COTE ZIMTSTERN ZULU SEMPERVIVUM SPECIES: S. andreanum (syn. S. tectorum ssp. alpinum) S. annae coll. Omala S. annetiense n.n. S. antericum S. apeninum S. arachnoideum S. arachnoideum coll. Austria S. arachnoideum coll. Dolomitok/Passo di Fedaia S. arachnoideum coll. Saas Fee, Switzerland S. arachnoideum coll. Salardu /Pyrenees S. arachnoideum coll. Andorra S. arachnoideum cv. HOOKERI S. arachnoideum cv. KAPPA S. arachnoideum cv. ORDENSTERN S. arachnoideum cv. SULTAN S. arachnoideum f. webbianum cv. AUREUM S. arachnoideum f. webbianum cv. ICICLE S. arachnoideum rubrum S. arachnoideum tomentosum S. arachnoideum v. bryoides S. arachnoideum v. glabrescens f. album S. arachnoideum v. gnaphalium S. arachnoideum v. laggeri S. arachnoideum v. oligotrichum S. arachnoideum v. sanguineum S. arachnoideum v. tomentosum S. arachnoideum x montanum S. arachnoideum x nevadense from Sierra Nevada S. armenum / S. armenicum S. atlanticum S.atlanticum coll. TIZINTICHA S. atroviolaceum S. atroviolaceum RUBRUM S. balcanicum S. balsii S. brownii S. calabricum hort. S. calcareum EXTRA S. calcereum S. calcareum Greenii S. calcareum LITTLE S. calcareum Sir William Lawrence S. calcareum Spinulifolium S. calcareum coll. Guillaumes S. cantabricum S. cantabricum coll. Leitariegos S. cantabricum ssp. guadarramense from Lobo No.1 S. cantabricum ssp. urbionense coll. Gaton S. cantabricum x montanum v. stiriacum S. caucasicum S. caucasicum coll. Dagesztán S. caucasicum coll. Dombai S. charadzeae S. charadzeae coll. Ober Raca S. cilicium (?) S. ciliosum S. ciliosum coll. Ali Botush S. ciliosum v. bandericianum S. ciliosum x erythraeum S. clusianum Abruzzi S. cornuta S. davisii coll. Agri Dagi S. dolomiticum S. dominii coll. Teberda-Dombai között, 1600 m S. erythraeum S. erythraeum coll. Pirin S. from Pireneusok (?) S. giuseppii S. glaciale S. graecum (hort.) S. grandiflorum S. grandiflorum coll. Nufennen Pass S. ingwersenii S. iranicum PF 2976 coll. Ardanuc S. ispartae S. italicum coll. Mt. Contento-Simbruini/Ol. S. juwanii S. kindingeri coll. Macedonia S. leucanthum coll. Grúzia S. longum S. macedonicum S. marmoreum bruneifolium S. marmoreum coll. Börzsöny S. marmoreum coll. Bükk-Molnár szikla S. marmoreum coll. Rila S. marmoreum f. patentifrons S. marmoreum Mahagoni S. marmoreum Michaelis Borsii S. marmoreum ssp. erythraeum coll. PIRIN S. marmoreum v.brunneifolium S. marmoreum v. blandum coll. Ljubjana (?) S. marmoreum v. blandum coll. Prokletje S. marmoreum v. dinaricum S. marmoreum x cv. Pinellii S. matricum coll. Kamenica nad Hronom, Slovakia S 982-A S. metallicum cv. Giganteum S. milebrandtii S. montanum coll. Magas-Tátra S. montanum ssp. carpathicum from Kralovany, Slovakia S 953-A S. montanum ssp. carpatichicum from Jastrabska skala, Slovakia S 053-A S. montanum ssp. erythraeum ex Rila S. montanum ssp. montanum from Daxnerovo sedlo, Slovakia S 023-A S. montanum Stilfser Jack S. montanum v. burnattii coll. French Alps S. moserianum S. nevadense S. octopodes S. octopodes v. apetalum S. pitonii S. pumilum S. rainardii S. roseum S. sp. Kovacovske vrchy/Cs. S. sanguineum S. smrzianum S. stiriacum coll. Maltatal, Austria S 0410-F S. striacum v. praegerls S. tectorum S. tectorum »Violaceum« S. tectorum atrosanguineum S. tectorum Lancelot S. tectorum monstrosum S. tectorum Atropurpureum S. tectorum Atroviolaceum S. tectorum Monstrosum S. tectorum Robustum S. tectorum Royanum S. tectorum rubra S. tectorum Typ Feldmayer S. tectorum v. juratense S. tectorum v. pyrenaicum S. tectorum v. rubra S. tectorum v. validum S. tectorum Villosum S. thompsonii S. thompsonii S. tomentosum S. tometosum S. transcaucasicum S. webbianum S. wulfenii S. wulfenii from Riegersburs, Austria S 046-A S. wulfenii x montanum S. zeleborii (synonim S. ruthenicum) Natural Sempervivum hybrids: S. x adenotrichum from Mt. Ferrant S. x albidae S. x albidum (S. tectorum x wulfenii) S. x albidum (wulfenii x grandiflorum) S. x angustifolium S. x braunii (montanum x wulfenii) S. x comollii Rota (wulfenii x tectorum) S. x fauconnettii (arachnoideum x tectorum) S. x fimbriatum (arachn. x wulfenii) S. x fontanae (arachn. x tect. v. glaucum) S. x funckii S. x funckii x aracnoideum S. x hybridum (arachnoideum x tectorum) S. x versicolor Typ A Ex JOVIBARBA: J. allionii J. allionii coll. Esteng J. allionii coll.Esteng x hirta from Biele Karpaty (cv. OKI") J. allionii x hirta v. glabrescens from Smeryouka J. allionii x sobolifera J. arenaria J. heuffelii (two from different sources) J. heuffelii kopaonikense J. heuffelii APACHE J. heuffelii coll. Pasina Glava / former Yugoslavia J. heuffelii coll. Pelister, ex Yugoslavia J. heuffelii coll. Pirin Vichren/Bulgaria J. heuffelii coll. Rila J. heuffelii Regina - Ameliae J. heuffelii cv. Fandango J. heuffelii cv. Xanthoheuff J. heuffelii v. kopaonikense J. hirta J. hirta coll. Bélkõ/Bükk J. hirta coll. Budai hegység J. hirta coll. Durmitor J. hirta coll. Harsányhegy J. hirta HEDGEHOG J. hirta glauca J. hirta coll. Mecsek J. hirta coll. Odorvár/Bükk J. hirta coll. SMERYONKA - SMERYOUKA J. hirta coll. Szekrényes hegy J. hirta f. rubra J. hirta purpurea J. hirta ssp. glabrescens from Ducove, Slovakia S 901-A J. hirta ssp. hirta J. hirta ssp. hirta from Stratenska Jaskyna, Slovakia S 891-A J. hirta ssp. tatrensis coll. Klak, Slovakia S 021-J J. hirta v. glabrescens J. hirta v. neilreichii J. hirta v. preissiana J. hirta x sobolifera cv. Emerald Spring J. sobolifera J. sobolifera from Palava Mts /Czech Rep. J. sobolifera JH 198 coll. St. Martin, 630m /Austria J. sobolifera JH 200 coll. Gross Gerungd J. x mitchellii cv. Sandy J. globiferassp. hirtum J. globiferum BLUTROT J. globiferum sssp. allionii J. globiferum ssp. arenarium J. globiferum ssp. globiferum Will also swap lost labels sempervivums (semps with no name) have cca 250 different! Special offer for swapping unnamed (lost labels) species and cultivars in 2007 - you get doubled number of semps you sent in exchange (for example, you sent 10 & get 20, you send 26 & get 52 etc.!)

This is what I did last year and it worked well: -Bought some 14inch tall and 4x8 ft raised beds in wood. Filled them with store bought soil mixed with some of the compact clay from the garden. -Sowed tomatoes, peppers, melons and cucumbers (heat-tolerant species) inside in January. -Sowed Basil, Zinnia, Amaranthus and Nicotiana in February. -Direct sowed beans, salad, peas. -Bought some herbs which I planted out directly. -Planted out most of it in the middle of March. -Vegetables, tomatoes, and cucumbers got harvested. Most of it died in July. (Except a tomato specie called "Matts wild cherry tomato" which was very heat tolerant (but also quite unstoppable,weedy, overwhelming plants and self seed wildly!). -The peppers did I actually harvest until Christmas (had to plant them in a flowerbed- ran out of space). -I will full heartedly recommend Zinnia for the Texas gardens. They was a blast ! Flowered along time. I haven't seen the SVBs, and they sounds like a really serious treat. Though I haven't actually Zucchini, but three types melon and cucumbers. Sounds like a terrible pest. -I bought some plants too. Find a good garden center and use some dollars on something exciting. Lots of fun with a small investment. I bought a Passionfruit Plant. Its a tad invasive, but I've got loads of Passion Fruits this fall and winter. Very healthy and very excotic for a Scandinavian like me. -Good Luck! I write about my garden in Houston here.

I have a lot of experience with planting roses in pots. Consider why you want to use pots instead of planting your roses in the ground. If you want to keep your roses in pots for a long time I would consider a larger pot (10gal+) such as: I got this one at Costco ($20) a few years back. Now, if you want to pot up your roses temporarily for the purpose of giving your roses a head start, which is what I did this past year, I would recommend using cheaper nursery pots (the big box stores don't sell these, I buy mine from Diamond Fertilizer for around $1 each). I go all out and create my own potting mix by mixing top soil with compost, Perilite, granular fertilizer, and peat moss (1 bag + 1 bag + ten cups + 3 cups + 5 cups). It's an inexpensive way to pot up several dozen roses, but is very labor intensive. I used to mix in the crystals for hydration, but I didn't see much of a difference so I cut out the expense. I have found that the Miracle Gro Rose Soil is good, but I get the same outcome using the competitions garden soil (it costs around $6 a bag). I did cover my garden beds in professional grade ground cover to stem off the weeds and prevent the roses from rooting down in the ground, as this sets them back a bit when you have to relocate the pot and tear up the roots in the process. I only have a problem with needing to raise the roses off of the ground during the extreme wet months, and even then there's no predicting what will happen. I have planted several roses on Dr. Huey directly into the ground and the average life span runs between three and five years with very good care. The ones that survive past five years are those that set off on their own roots and tend to be very hardy (Don Juan, Sonia, Mister Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth, etc.). You will have to keep to a regular spray program in order to achieve success with these roses. I've found that planting these roses close to a house tends to increase their success. Unfortunately, I've had limited success with those bagged roses once placed in the ground. They are extremely difficult to start to begin with. Once you DO get them started, they tend to be less healthy than potted roses you'd find in the garden center (my experience). Try posting pictures of your situation for better feedback. Good Luck! -Adrian.

I havent had a problem with my large flowers.........havent grown too many of the other kind because I love the big flowers so much. I need to learn how to post photos from my Iphone; dont know how to hook it up to my computer to post, will have to learn how to do that. I have a photo from last year of 'Monte Casino' on a trellis with Plum Perfect and Pretty Lady Rose roses - just gorgeous!!! I personally dont like the clems vining in the roses, too messy. So I put them on these smaller trellises behind the roses where I can get to them to prune out dead wood but they still can show off their colors with the roses - just personal preference. I also cut them down in spring to the ground [about 6" above] to help build the clem and produce more stems, regardless of what pruning group they are. When they are of sufficient size to suit me, I will start pruning according to their group. I have alot in pots currently - have to get them in the ground hopefully in the next month or so - for no reason other than time has been a problem. I do get my best flowering in spring, but depending on the variety, will get flowers in summer or fall, but spring is by far the best. I have never worried about which group does best - I just buy what I like. I have what I think [tag lost] Violet Charm growing up against a tree on a trellis that has been there for years - it will grow and flower periodically with little care but fertilizing. Had a Mrs. Chomondeley that was enormous - had some foundation work done, the workers killed it before I had a chance to dig it out, plan to replace it this spring. It was up against the house on the west side, full sun [but good soil and I watered] and it was fabulous. Ernest Markham is another goodie. Again, due to time, the poor thing stayed in the one gallon pot I bought it in for a few years - now planted, it is getting larger yearly. I have ordered from Debbie and will do so again - when I get my potted ones planted! I would say just go ahead and buy what you like, try them out, Very rarely have I had wilt - but if it happens, just cut them back almost to the ground and they will rebound. Nicole is a good one too, very tough and HF Young is a gorgeous lilac, one of my favorites. They are a beautiful plant; though they look fragile, they arent. Though I love the large flowered ones......I plan to branch out and try some of the other groups. Hope this helps!