I have no idea what a Dr. Seuss garden is. I loved his books when I was little.

Have you done a search for the general topic- what is a Dr. Seuss garden? Sit back and enjoy some fun reading and perhaps a few answers to your question.

This sounds like a very interesting project.

I don't have any suggestions for plants but it would probably helpful to also add some crazy looking garden decorations also. Maybe even wierd things that wouldn't normally be in a garden.

Farfugium comes to mind. It looks like giant dollarweed.

A lot of Gerbera Daisies strike me as having a sort of cartoonish quality, and are easy to grow in our climate. Some of the variegated zinnias, such as the 'Candy Stripe' and 'Peppermint Stick' ones might also be fun, and easily grown from seed.

Turk's cap (a native hibiscus) and Abutilon (not native) have unusual flowers, though maybe not showy enough for what you're planning. Bat-face cuphea is well-named. Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana) or Firecracker ferns (Russelia equisetiformis) are also unusual, but possibly not "out there" enough?

Some tropical hibiscuses are loud and proud, and there are a few heat-tolerant fuchsias on the market these days.

Coleus does well in our shady garden- some of the wilder color combos might do the trick.

One that may or may not be hard to find is Tibouchina heteromalla- the flowers are purple and nice enough, but it's the leaves that are kinda funky- large, green velvety ovals that don't look like any other leaves I've seen. You could put it in a pot so you could bring it indoors to keep it from freezing, but I know someone in 8B who has one planted outside- he lets his die back with cold weather & it comes back in the spring.

I tried to list plants you should be able to find without a lot of trouble, and none of these plants should be too finicky for a novice gardener.

Good luck with whatever you decide to grow, and please feel free to post some photos...

Oh, and ditto on the Farfugium suggestion. Very Seussian, and pretty easy to grow here.

The 'Flying Dragon' is a very weird plant. Twisty and curly and big spikes on the stem. When it matures it puts out bright orange 'oranges' which are inedible. Definitely would fit in a Dr Seuss garden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifoliate_orange

how about a monkey puzzle tree?? they are def. weird looking. I found one in a local nursery once, and it lived in my zone 7 garden in VA.

How about Dagga/Lion's Tail? Or blue sea holly? Or Green Wizard rudbeckia? Toucan purslane? Black poppies? Penny Black nemophilia?

I would think adding some topiary would add to the Seussian effect. Try Japanese hollies, Ligustrum japonicum, Yaupon holly and trim into poodle trees.