The main issue with your heat is the size and type of container you're intending to use. There IS a great difference between the heat tolerance of the various types. Plant roots want cool, damp, dark conditions in which to live. Clay and ceramic are cooking utensils. You can actually buy cookware made out of those materials. They're very efficient as they absorb, retain and radiate heat for a long time. Plastic, foam, wood even concrete containers vary in their heat efficiency with foam, wood and concrete providing the most insulation from the direct heat of the sun's rays as well as the air and reflected surface heat. For a deck, you probably want the lightest material available to reduce the load and damage to the surface and structure. I would definitely suggest the largest containers you can handle and find, and definitely wooden or foam types as the first choice, with plastic used as a distant third. Think of the roots as perishable, requiring an ice chest to insulate them from heat damage. The material you choose should provide that heat insulation to prevent direct cooking of the roots against the container sides, as well as the heat cooking all of the soil moisture from the root ball and eventually damaging or even killing the plant. You may be able to successfully grow a hybrid tea in a seven gallon container without that extra heat, so you might want to consider at least a ten gallon, perhaps even a fifteen gallon container for the same rose on the deck. You are probably also going to consider a saucer under the pot to reduce the water damage and staining to the deck surface, but that is likely not a good idea for the plant. All of the dissolved "salts" in the water, plus those already in the soil and any fertilizers are going to reduce, concentrate, in the saucer and, hence, the soil like over cooking a soup or sauce too long, making them saltier and saltier until the concentration becomes toxic, even fatal for the plant. If you need to use a saucer under the pot, you'd be best served by filling it with gravel so there is some room for the drain water while the soil is kept out of it so none of the increasingly salty water is drawn back up into the roots. I think you'll find if you stagger the pot sizes with smaller ones, containing more heat tolerant plant types, in front of the larger pots, you can also reduce the direct and radiated heat effects on the larger pots. Some people plant other plants in with the roses, which isn't my preference. A vigorously growing plant needs all the moisture it can get. Most of the time, a pot becomes too restricted in size and water holding capabilities. Adding any other roots to that soil ball increases the competition between the plants and increases the necessity for you to water more often. As for which specific varieties of roses are more "heat tolerant", the most suitable information for you will come from those who grow them in similar arid heat to yours. A humid 100 degrees is far different from an arid 100 degrees. You can successfully grow "sun azaleas" in hot, humid sun. They will NOT grow in my arid, hot sun of similar recorded temperature even with properly amended soil, adjusted fertilizer and water levels. That humidity can make all the difference in the world whether a petal endures the heat, or simply fries. You'll find very, very few roses have petals which will endure full, triple digit sun exposure, particularly in a container which is significantly hotter than what the surrounding soil temperatures are just a few inches under ground. Also keep in mind that the air temps might be one level, but the reflected, radiated heat from the deck surface can easily increase the surrounding heat dramatically, sometimes an easy twenty degrees, or more, during the most intense part of the day. That's what enables people in cooler/colder climates to successfully grow more tender plant types in pots and against walls where the heat is greater and lasts longer. Of course, these are all choices and decisions you'll need to make and all are up to you. But, knowing some of the considerations to keep in mind, permits you to make the ones best suited for the plants you want and your "gardening style", time and energy. Good luck! Kim

I'm in 10A in SW Florida. That means I have wet summers and dry winters. In the summer I move jades under the overhang because I need to protect them from the heavy rains. They get full sun from Oct. thru most of June and do well. No wilting and no burning. They survive the shade well, but it is a bright shade with plenty of reflected light. My elf has grown in both full sun and shade. It has done very well. All of my Aeoniums have died. I love them, but seem to kill them, so I'll offer NO advice on that. LOL I have used containers so I could move plants easily if I found that the spot I had chosen is not working out. The changing direction of the sun during the various seasons has surprised me more than once.

There is shade and there is shade. If it is relatively bright shade you have a lot of options. For instance, if it is shade cast by a wall, but the space is quite open on all other sides, the light levels are still pretty good. In that case, almost any shade friendly plant should do well. There are many lists in this forum. If it's hemmed in by tall evergreens on several sides and it looks like a cave, it will be a bit trickier. In any case hostas should do OK, especially blue ones if the shade is deeper. Epimedium is also good. For instant colour, it's hard to beat impatiens and begonias, and they are very undemanding as far as light is concerned. As far as design is concerned, think contrast. A hosta next to a bleeding heart is nice, for instance, because the contrast between the leaf size, shape and colour is pleasing. Put in a variety of heights, leaf shape, plant shape, and it will be hard to go too wrong.

I live in Northern IL - Kane County. we have over an AC and the lot is split between full sun and full shade. Due to water issues in the area, we have to choose plants that are drought torrent to survive in our yard! Balloon Flowers have done very well in both shade and full sun. At fist, I wasn't that happy with them as the flowers don't last for a long time, nor do the spread quickly. The GOOD NEWS is this yr. they did very, very well with our sever drought conditions............. I have several that seeded down and were in a location I didn't want them so I really didn't water them and they survived!!! Black -eyed Susan same as above! However, they will wilt down if they don't receive some form of water occasionally. The good news is once you see them start to wilt, give them a little water and they will come roaring back! They will also seed down for you! Another favorate is Purple Cone Flowers, and they come in White, Yellow, RED, and Pink. They have a very nice decorative flower head. And if you deadhead them, they will continue to flower all summer with Little to no maintenance. Just added the Red one's this yr and I love them!!!!! A few other to consider are; Jacob's Ladder, Lavender,Speedwell, Yarrow (long lasting but get tall and gangly, but the bee's and butterfly love it) Best of wishes with your garden! - AL