Dave Calhoun wrote:

Let me start by saying I'm a guy and I've never tried to grow a plant
before. I have a nice fake one in my office. So I've got the itch to
give it a go.

Dave, as others have pointed out, your plant list is comprised of plants
suited to growing out of doors. With very few exceptions, outdoor plants do
not fare very well being grown indoors for any length of time. That does not
mean you can't realize your vision - you just need a more suitable list of
plants. There are scores of great indoor plants, many of which will flower
over a long period of time. Visit a good local garden center with a good
selection of indoor plants - as long as you can provide right growing
conditions, you could have an assortment of begonias, gardenias, African
violets, kalanchoe, Persian violet, cyclamen, Thanksgiving cactus, orchids,
even other flowering cacti and succulents. And don't exclude overwintering
geraniums in your indoor garden or forcing spring bulbs. These may not
exactly be beginner's fare, but I'm willing to bet once you get started you
won't be able to stop. Gardening - even indoor gardening - is addictive.

Do some research, too. Growing plants indoors tends to be a bit more
complicated than growing things outside. YOU have to assume the role of
Mother Nature and provide correct growing conditions of soil, light,
humidity and water and nutrients. If this is your fist attempt at
"gardening", you might want to start with something pretty foolproof before
you move on the the tricky stuff. Personally, I have found begonias dead
easy to grow indoors, ditto African violets.

pam - gardengal