Randy Weston says a look around the garden centers will tell you what survives a Texas summer. He says it has been almost impossible to keep container plants alive if they're not acclimated to extreme heat. He begins his list of hardy plants with the shade lovers. Wood fern and holly fern are my recommendations, they're tougher than a boot. For sunny spots, I would say Turk's cap, it's a tough native perennial with a little red flower.
Hummingbirds love it.
Mexican petunia, ruellia, especially the dwarf selection, is good. I also like hummingbird bush. It has real nice red or orange trumpet flower that attracts hummingbirds. They bloom from June through the first frost. The more sun it gets, the more it blooms, but it will even produce flowers in the shade.