Hey, I can understand your neighbors concern. If I let the polk grow here I'd have a million plants. They tend to take over if let to re-seed in southernly climes.
I admit they are beautiful, just annoying.

This year I am growing my favorite annual herb, Papalo. It is delicious and a great cilantro replacement in hot weather. I have two heirloom tomatoes that are in, they are Southern Red Giant and Tennessee Britches both from a man in South Carolina who grows heirlooms that are not yet available through seed companies. Black and red seed limas climbing limas are also in. You just don't see those every day!
Normally I grow many more unusual things, but I've been concentrating more on unusual vegetables and leaving the flowers more to heirloom and traditional varieties.

GGG

I suppose you are thinking of annuals.

I'll respond anyway with what I've got: I'm trying a Franklinia and a Florida torreya.

The Franklinia was first recorded, by a European, by Bartram near the Altamaha and is no longer found in nature. The Florida torreya was dubbed, by the Nature Conservancy, I believe, the most endangered conifer in the world.

A theory, as to both, is that they got trapped in warm-weather South Georgia and Florida and failed to make a reverse migration back to cooler climes between ice ages. Accordingly, they are thought to like cooler climate. I'm just hoping that Atlanta is cool enough.

I've got one more in this series to go: the Florida yew.

I'm trying some new trees and shrubs this year also.
Ozark Chinquapin (Chestnut) Had to start from seed (from SW MO), as I couldn't find a vendor. Planted 4/1 and they are almost a foot high now.
Edgeworthia chrysantha (Paperbush) (Grown from a cutting)
Yellow Anisetree (Illicium parviflorum)
Kousa Dogwoods, Snowboy & Milky Way

Unusual Perennials I am trying:
New Zealand Brass Buttons - A low growing ground cover with fern like foliage and tiny bright yellow flowers.
Tasmanian Flax Lily - Yellow & Green variegated foliage, Has blue berries in fall.
Calanthe bicolor - Pink & White flowers (terrestrial Orchid)

I have had a Georgia Plume, Elliottia racemosa for several years and it has a lot of dieback during winter, even very mild winters. Is moisture(or probably, lack of) my problem?
Any recommendations are welcome!

I'm trying jasione this year. I don't know if it's unusual, but have never seen it in a nursery before this year. I planted three - one seems to be doing well and is growing, one isn't growing yet but is hanging in there, and the third looks like it's on its way out. I'm hoping it blooms at the same time as my daylilies so I can have blue blossoms to go with all the yellow and pink daylily blooms.

Assorted cacti.

You know given the new climate... single digit relative humidity & all.

Nothing really noteworthy although I did plant wallflowers this year and they have been beautiful for months. I love pineapple sage though, it's a must have for me.

Unusual is a relative term - I have been growing 'unusual' plants for years, so it's almost 'normal' for me :-)

Bananas, Pineapples, Lemons, Limes are in the indoor/outdoor group. I just acquired a Mango(Cogshall)that's supposed to stay small for patio culture, yet fruit.

Outdoors we're giving Calla lilies a try this year - bought every color we could find. They are about 6" tall right now.

Hi, I'm growing Edgeworthia or Paper Bush. I bought it at Wilkerson Mill Gardens. I have it in a spot that gets some morning sun and then is shaded until late afternoon. It is still small but did bloom this past winter and does smell delicious - like cloves.

bloominganne

Here is a link that might be useful: Edgeworthia Info