Tammy, I'm no expert but I don't think you should have a problem.....I'm in zone 6 and I have heavy, clayish soil full of rocks and they grow just fine for me......and I have about 20 dusty millers right now that I left outside this winter.....they come back fine here for me, there's new growth around the bottom of them and everything--and they are starting to perk right back up. They are a very common plant well known for their silvery foliage and I often use them between my flowers to give some foliage interest.

Not a problam Tammy--I am a chronic worrier myself so I can relate.......

Oh, and they can flower, but they are really not anything spectacular--just little yellow flowers--they are really grown for the foliage.....One plant I like for cool foliage too is the Amaranthus--Josephs Coat. It has red, green, and yellowish leaves........tri-colored.

You know if you are worried at all about your dusty miller you could put it in a pot with some flowers....When I make up potted arrangements for outside I often put one in with the flowers. Then you could use some good potting soil, but heck--if mine grows okay in clayish soil yours should do okay in the ground too!

Oh, is this for outside an apartment? I know what you mean about people ripping stuff out....my neighbor had several of her terra cotta pots stolen and smashed a few streets down from her. I myself don't have a front yard, my house is right on the sidewalk...but I do have planters on my porch and boxes on the ledges and along the sidewalk...I was amazed last year that some of the teenagers around here didn't vandalize anything.......It's kind of hard to have curb appeal when you don't have a front yard, but I try.