First thing DON'T GIVE UP. Plants are like life your life is never a bed of roses.
I agree with others find what grows in your area and really make sure you have good soil. It is life. If you eat twinkies for every meal you would catch every disease that came in your air space.
Last I feel your pain and discouragement. I have gardened since I could walk with my mother and as an adult. I finally had had it with the small suburban yard and went in search of a property with enough land to garden until I dropped. Found my piece of heaven (in my price range) of 4 acres. 1 acre for woods, 1 acre for the fruit trees, and 2 acres to garden. I thought I had hit pay dirt I dug up hundreds of plants from my old house and moved them to the new house. The real estate lady said no one would buy it if I did not make it look like less work to keep up so many gardens.
I had all those beautiful mature plants in place from my old house. Grabbed my tea one morning to go out and look at what was planted and make plant adding plans and all the plants were gone. The deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and every known to man animal had had a party and ate everything down to stems.
The plants I love I discovered are their favorite food.....Hostas, Daylilies, roses, etc. I have been here 4 yrs trying to figure out what I can plant and garden without being disappointed every morning. I felt like giving up many times the last 4 yrs. Then something comes up and nothing eats it and I am back at the nursery spending my money.
