Yes, you can do it now

In our zone, I would wait until fall to plant her in the ground. This is a horrible time for direct planting since the weather here in NC has already heated up and the ground is dry. Planting now would mean you would have to baby this plant tremendously. Wait until late summer/early September and plant her then. The plant will thank you for it and you won't have to be watering as frequently to keep her alive. Our long fall season will allow ample time for her to get settled in before winter arrives.

I was kind of leaning toward the fall. I really try hard to water only when absolutely necessary. Thanks for the help.