Hey there - I'm in zone 4, but thought I'd chime in. I have Winnipeg Parks and they have done awesome for me. Nice and bushy, BIG sort of 'hot pink' blooms (although it's usually listed as a red rose, I think it's mroe pink!) and lots of them. Also, the new growth is red, which I like. I don't spray, no problems with disease. I also have Hope for Humanity, which I've had good luck with. Dark red blooms. Both of these are Parkland series - bred in Canada to be hardy and disease resistant. The Winnipeg Parks has a pretty good scent, rosey, but light. I also have a Snow Pavement Rose which is a Rugosa and is out of control, easy to take care of, lots of blooms and they smell GREAT!! This one doesn't bloom as continually as the Winn Parks or Hope for Humanity, but the smell is so nice and I like the bright green rugosa leaves. Good luck!

You probably want to let the shoots bloom before doing anything. Yes, strong shoots can be cut back to 3', then hopefully each makes two or more lateral shoots, which in turn can be cut back to two or three leaves so they branch again. After a few years you have a bushy plant with enough top growth that it is satisfied and stops making excessively long canes. You can also bend long shoots over and peg them to the ground or tie them to the base of the plant in a hoop. Such canes will make two or three shoots at the top of the arch. Later you can prune off the outside of the arch if you want an upright bush. If more strong basals come in the fall, I would not prune them down until spring. 6' shoots are not uncommon on vigorous shrub roses, and the plant is capable of longer ones if it does this in the first season. Sounds like it will need around 5' of width and can fill more than that.

I'll second Melva's advice on the crepe myrtles and mint. Crepe myrtles look ever so much better to me when they haven't been chopped back. Mint grows nicely here, but don't plant it in the ground as it will spread everywhere! I've had good luck with thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, mint, and rosemary in pots. I recently put the rosemary in the ground and it's doing fine. The rest don't like full sun in the heat of the summer, at least for me. Maybe I don't water them often enough then? But, if I move them back to where they get afternoon shade, they're happy. I've tried lavender, it did really well in a pot for a couple years and even rooted itself into the ground. Then we had a bad winter and it croaked. The one I tried last year didn't make it through the summer. I'm debating trying again. As for regular plants, I like lantana, salvia greggii (Autumn Sage), Texas Sage/Cenizo, Henry Duehlberg salvia, Mystic Spires salvia, daffodils (some survive our summers better than others, I've had good luck with Ice Follies), gladiolus (although some don't come back), and iris. Oh, and cast-iron plant (aspidistra) is a good one, too. Also "Wandering Jew" (can never remember the "proper name") can be good, I've had good luck with the solid color one with thicker leaves, BUT it will spread quickly and easily and is difficult to get rid of. I've got it surrounded by the house and driveway. If you're willing to put in a bit of time and effort on amending the soil, the Earthkind roses can be easy-care once they're established. They're grown on their own roots and typically don't require pruning unless you just want to, don't need to be sprayed regularly as they're not prone to the mildews and such, and really only need to have their mulch replenished to a 3" depth every year. I also have a number of tropical and semi-tropical plants in pots that move into the greenhouse every winter. They do fine outside under the oak trees during the rest of the year. Good luck and have fun with gardening.

does she have gumbo, loam or sandy soil? i lived in cypress a dozen years or so and now live south of houston, but some easy plants for me were roses, salvia and camellia, if drainage is an issue, i'd take care of that before planting any of these, size of these plants vary from small salvia, to camellia or roses of a type that would get larger and i would recommend old garden roses if you can find them.....rcw nursery and arbor gate at tomball carry those and im sure buchanan's and other places that i'm not aware of carry them too if you have lots of shade plant camellia or maybe ginger and if you have lots of sun, go for the roses or salvia (indigo spires are beautiful ) also there are lots of lantana which may be large or small depending on what you buy and day lilies and agapanthus work well also