You should try antique roses! These are roses that have been around for 50-100 years or so. I'm including a link to an antique rose store.
The Antique Rose Emporium It has pictures of all the different roses. I have an early 1900's rose called Mrs. B.R. Cant. It requires no care (except trimming) and it blooms from March to the first freeze (usually Dec. in Texas).
You should visit a
LOCAL INDEPENDENT nursery - not a chain nursery - and they will tell you the plants that are best grown in your area. Often the chain nurseries (or Walmart or Home Depot) have plants that are not appropriate for your area. When they die, it is not your fault, they should not have been sold to you.
A raised bed is best because you can get GOOD garden soil to put in it. Good garden soil makes all the difference. Water in anything you plant with liquid seaweed - and drench your plants with it once a week. It really helps a lot!
The square foot gardening technique is the BEST for either flowers or vegetables. Here's the link
The Official Site of Square Foot Gardening and Mel Bartholomew, Originator and Author If you do what this guy says, it will work! He has a book that I highly recommend too!
I'm using the square foot gardening technique for my vegetables this year. I've included a few pix. I have strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro. I'll have some rosemary, basil and squash, but don't have them out yet.