I am ultra-low-tech. Gravel on the bottom, light on the top, fish in the middle. That's all the care my plants get, and they love it. My ideal tank is a 20 long with a 30 watt fixture. It's shorter, so it's brighter at the bottom with less light. The plants that do best for me are jungle val, java moss, sunset hygro (yes, they're even red), creeping jenny (won't stop growing), and indian fern. Dwarf sagittaria and mayaca fluviatilis didn't fare so well in my tanks.

My biggest advice would be to filter well, with a HOB preferably, and clean it fairly often. Planted tanks are very messy when all you're accustomed to is a non-planted tank. Once you get used to that, you will never want to go back, the plants are just as much fun as the fish.