Honny, for a quick, bright, display, I suggest getting a lot of portulaca. Many of this year's plants will actually return as "volunteers" next spring, even though they are supposedly only annuals. That makes then well worth the price, AND by now they may well be on sale in 6 packs.
Glad to see that you have decided to push yourself for the semester's work; I didn't want to have to come down that way to give you a shove in that direction. lol Surely that degree must be very close now?
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.