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Plants, shrubs and trees for a large, no shade garden in Houston?

OK...so I need some ideas...I'm not from the US, let alone Houston and need some advice as to what to plant in my large yard that has no shade.. I want trees, shrubs and anything else that might survive this heat! I don't have irrigation, so please bear that in mind with your recs....any advice welcome as to what I should fertilise with or where I can get the plants in my area apart from home depot! I'm interested in plant swaps and eco-fiendly ideas for garden materials...thanks for your help!

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My daughter lives in Houston and she has azaleas growing under crepe myrtles. Zinnias and moss roses can also take the heat. Check craigslist.com and see if there is a plant swap listed. My daughter gets her plants and trees from various nurseries.
Lavender does fairly well on the southeast side of a home. Marigolds are very heat tolerent but you may have to trim them down before they start to seed or you will have a ton of them next year sprouting up everywhere, even in your neighbors yard. Zinnias can survive the heat once they are mature. There is a shrub with a blue flowering top It has a few different names, here they call it Russian Sage. It makes a beautiful hedge, grows fast, and has a somewhat pleasant smell. Now for something that spreads like crazy is the Moonflower. I started with just a stick once six years ago and it has given me an abundant flow of seeds. This is a beautiful flower which only blooms at night. If it's planted where you will have shade in the a.m. you can enjoy them early in the morning. By the time the sun hits them they are dome. They get stinky and then wilt.It's best to cut it off right away. You will see the seed pods start to form after it has started flowering. The seed pods are very stickery so you need to be cautious when handeling them.They involve big clean up come fall but they are pretty, The stems are velvety smooth to the touch and look light purple at the top where the flower blooms. Note this that this paticular seed has been the one that stupid kids were getting a high from. It is fatal to smoke.My mind is drawing a blank right now as to the plant that does great on the Northeast side of the house. No this is not due to the seed pod LOL, Bleeding hearts love the east morning sun. Mums are great because they come up every year.only trim the tops come fall. Shasta daisies can do pretty well in the heat too. I have Iris bulbs on the south side of my house and they are beautiful for a spring.Tulips love the east and southside. sane with hyacinth and daffodils.These bulbs will come back. Petunias are heat friendly but will need water every day when blistering hot. Hope I was of some help for your yard. My yard is my haven just to get away and count my blessings.
petunias, cleyera, red maple
Plumeria are sun and heat-loving, and, once established, they are drought-tolerant plants. They can be grown as potted plants, or in the ground as trees, in areas where the temperature does not drop below 35 degrees for any extended amount of time. They produce beautiful exotic tropical flowers (which are used to make leis in Hawaii), and most of which are very fragrant. They are easily grown from cuttings, too. To find out more about plumeria, which is also called Frangipani, check out the friendly Yahoo online forum, link below. There are many, many members in that group who are from Houston, TX, and they can help you with more info. It's a very friendly informal, chatty group, too, and you are bound to make some friends!
Your Texas County Extension service is your best , no sales pitch, truth only ..way to go...and I found the link for you for Texas... http://texasextension.tamu.edu/about/agn.php I am a Master gardener in OK but used to live in Houston
Hakuro-nishiki’ Dappled Willow/growing instructions. they can be pruned to have a tree shape or they can be left as shrubs which will grow to 8 + feet . they will provide lost of shade and will grow in several soil conditions as well as temperatures. Open link below. http://www.midwestgardentips.com/hakuro-nishiki_dappled_willow.html Photos Branches have excellent color http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7D1MyJsmqe4/STJ9BewT-_I/AAAAAAAAI2M/dgnXdsV8LHM/s800/Salix%20integra%20%27Hakuro-Nishiki%27%20-%20Wierzba%20japo%C5%84ska%20ca%C5%82olistna.JPG http://davesgarden.com/pics/jnana_1119032132_925.jpg