Well we have hot and humid here too but we also have basements - something I read isn't really possible in Florida, right? A corner of a basement can easily be converted to a root cellar. So in part, for you it simply may not be possible but anything you can do to isolate the produce from the heat such as some sort of insulated containers - like totes with foam on the outside - and anything you can do to reduce the humidity - like the use of desiccant packs, silica gel, even dried milk packs - will be of great help. Got a dark corner on the floor of a closet someplace? House on a concrete slab? That would be cooler. If all else fails, is it possible to dig a hole in the back yard or make a berm/soil mound with room inside for storage. Many root cellars are above ground. About all I can think of. Sorry. Dave

It's not "hot" in Hawaii (maybe that's relative, but). It rarely gets over 90 degrees anywhere in the islands. Even the humidity is usually dried up by tradewinds. It's just not cold either unless you live at elevation, like Upcountry Maui. Florida's highs and lows both exceed Hawaii's by a good bit, not counting Hawaii's mountain zones which I believe go as low as zone 4 on Maui. Hawaii's climate is "perfect" for any heirloom. The problem is pests and disease, primarily fruit fly and TSWV. Cherry tomatoes do best with the flies and are popular with gardeners there. Certain types bred in and for Hawaii by UH, Kewalo comes to mind; and the TSWV resistors, Amelia, BHN 444, 640 etc., are best bets. A successful farmer named Richard Ha (youtube link) has grown 80+ varieties of heirlooms successfully on the Big Island where he gets 200 inches of rain, but he uses hydroponics and "open sided greenhouses" and sprays stuff many here wouldn't spray. Search the Hawaii Gardening Forum and you'll find growing tomatoes is a challenge there, but not primarily because of the weather, which just depends on where exactly you are in the islands, most spots being excellent climate-wise. There's even a thread disputing comparisons to Florida. Hawaii's hot humid spell is brief in some parts non existent in others; whereas, Florida's is extended and oppressive. Mojavebob, who plans to retire as Mauibob in the next ten years. ;)

Pink Rose, for modern type roses many are not resistant to disease. Particularly in Florida. But I've had luck with a few. Most notably is Easy Does It (grafted on fortuniana). A rose that can truley be grown no spray here. Others that have done really, exceptionally well are the two I mentioned before: wedding bells and ponk enchantment. I assume Beverly will be another good one, but I just planted her so it's too soon to tell. Love (red/white reverse), Regatta and About Fave have outstanding resistance as well. Another great one is Chrys lmperial (cherry red and very fragrant) this is one I highly recommend. Fragrant Delight, miss all American beauty, Europeana, Olympiad and In The Mood are all great. Olympiad being one of the nicer formed reds with great resistance. Pope John Paul II is probably the best white out there for S. Fl. Calico did well too but had somewhat gaudy flowers. Cherry Parfait is a nice rounded, short shrub that may suit your needs for the space you mentioned above. It has decent resistance to disease. All the drift roses do very well here too.

WEDDING BELLSSSSSSS! (Imaging that sung out like a happy and fat opera singer). I love love love this rose and I know you will to. I think it may be the perfect rose. I told Chris from New Flora that it should be added to the Sunbelt collection along with Beverly since both performed so well for me here in South Florida, but I'm sure there is more to it than just Florida heat. My Savannah is still small and has only bloomed twice. Its not in the most perfect location. Right now it doesn't get much sun and will only start getting ideal sun once it grows a little taller. It had pretty good disease resistance however and the bloom is very pretty. Its only been in the ground a couple of months though. I love Plum Perfect. Cream Veranda is also a wonderful rose you may want to try. It stays very compact and the blooms are quite large considering the plant stays so small. Solero Vigorosa is in the same boat as Cream Veranda. Its not quite as disease resistant, but its not bad and it too has large blooms in comparison to its size. I really like Roxy vigorosa. Its pretty much a miniature though. But the little blooms look like miniature versions of Fallstaff or Rouge Royal blooms and its just too cute. It blooms a bunch. I also really like Lavendar Veranda. Its a little taller than Cream Veranda growing to about 2.5 feet and a very prolific bloomer. Not quite as deep in color as Plum Perfect. One that has not done well for me is Summer Romance. No blooms. None! Its been there for 2 years without a single bloom. Just lots and lots and lots of healthy foliage. Another one that's still up in the air is Raspberry Vigorosa. Its extremely resistant to disease and has bloomed some. But so far its much more plant than flower. I havent given up on it yet though because its only been in the garden about 6 months. One that puzzles me is Earth Angel. Its first few months it gave me about 6 gorgeous blooms that were to die for. Then it stopped blooming and had just shot out new shoot after shoot after shoot. I've never seen such a vigorous rose. Its the bushiest thing ever, but no buds. Its not tall per say, just really really bushy. Its about 2x2. I cut it back about 2 months ago, hoping to git it to bloom but I think I just angered it because it shot out 7 (count em, 7!) new basal canes after i pruned it, and still no buds. Again, I'm not giving up on it, because it was just a little one gallon thing when I planted it last fall but if it sends out any more shoots, I don't know where its gonna put them. Its so friggin' bushy! I'm so impressed with many of my new Kordes that I just put in an order for a bunch more. I'm getting: Florentina, Jasmina, Honeymoon, (all climbers) from Edmunds. Then, Lemon Fizz Kolorscape, Rose of hope, Dark Desire, Soul Sister and Poseidon.