Besides peeking at what DOES grow well for your neighbors, look extra hard at the yards of people with scraggly, struggling, dieing plants. That tells you what NOT to plant, or at least warn you that those plants will need something their current owners are not giving them.
If you spot the same plant doing well in Yard #1, and poorly in Yard #2, you know who to ask for advice!
One thing you can always do in return for advice (or cuttings) is to offer to water for them if they go away for more than a few days.
