I'll preface this with saying, I have no green thumb to speak of. I've even killed potted cacti :car:

However, our house 'included' 15 random plants. This included a row of yellow things like look like bells.. and a row of generic bush things. Well, 1 of the generic bush things died.. they put cement under the garden and blah blah, BBB and 3 complaints later they finally fixed it. So, now I want to plant my own garden.. 1st I need to replace the bush, looks all weird without something there now.. and I'd like more filler stuff in there. I don't know ANYTHING about planting. When I was a kid my mom had a garden of a million random things she collected from friends and family. So my granny got me started, she gave me 'everlast' which I kept in a pot next to the front door and has turned into 3 everlasts. I decided to keep them together and put them in the planter near the door. They just started blooming- neato!

It's getting cold here..slowly but surely.. I'm hoping someone here will go "Oh I am such a gardner, blah blah" and have wonderful advice for me. I'm googling, but not finding the information I need.

I'm in the south, we're in a 6 month+ drought, but typically we get rain pretty regularly. It's getting to be 60's here temperature wise, and our winters only get to the 20's really. No snow. What is an annual plant, that doesn't grow ridiculously big, easy to plant and maintain, and I can plant in the winter? Any suggestions?

I like flowering stuff, but I don't like things that die for a whole season. :help:

Oh wait, after googling I realize I want PERENIALS.. *NOT* Annuals :car:

Wow! We have a few things in common. I love plants but don't have a green thumb, I live and in the south, and I do have a boxer. I wish I could help you out with the plants. I have some Bird of Paradise, I think they do ok in the winter but it is a tropical plant. I see a lot of people have big ones and they don't seem to die in the winter becaise they are very slow growing. If I think of something else I will let you know.

DOn't worry I have killed a cactus too....lol

Aren't boxers wonderful? I know people think I'm looney tune, but I swear she understand every word I say (whether she LISTENS or not is another story). We want to get another one eventually to keep her company.

Ok you're in LA, don't know much about your climate.. Birds of Paradise is tropical.. Do tropical things grow in AL?? I looked up some things I'm going to go look for at the nursery.. Pussy Willow, Hydrangea "tree"??, Astilbe Amethyst, and Champanula Blue Chip.. Sounds so fancificated!

Boxers are wonderful!!! I always had one since I was a kid. They are wonderful with kids, we will get another next year and maybe start breeding them.

I am sure our climate is about the same, never know what you will be wearing in the morning... Its chilli right now but it may be so hot in the morning...lol.

My mother has a green thumb, I wish she would give it to me. She can grow anything, she just takes clippings from different plants when she goes somewhere and by the next week she has a beautiful plant...lol. I wish I could do that.

What part of AL are you from? My step-mother is from Mobile.