where are you with a bit more specificity ... whats the ambient weather predicted for the next few weeks ...[e.g. it supposed to be in the 90s here in adrian tomorrow] ... the usual is.. just becasue you buy it.. doesnt mean its the best time to plant ... they could easily be held over until a better period of time which might be more forgiving ... and.. that means.. keep in mind.. they dont all have to be planted tomorrow ... overnight temps is often the key ... a cool recovery period ...

tip one out of the pot ... what do the roots look like ... snap us a pic??

whats your native soil... does it drain ... why do you think it might need amending ... you are usually better off not amending.. nor fertilizing at planting ...

how will water be applied after transplant ... presuming you are not planting them 1 foot apart ... this might be problem ... deal with it in advance ...

i dont know if i would have gone with a monoculture with 20 plants ...i might plant something like groups of 3 ... and then something different.. single plant .... so that if somewhere down the line... you have a total failure .. the differing plants will hopefully stay ... if i did not have the alternate plants... i would just mark the spot... and plant in fall ... or whenever ...

see link on proper watering ... amending soil ... etc

to repeat ... as i got older .... it took me some years to understand .... that what i could do in one afternoon.. when i was 20 something .. just wasnt going to happen anymore .. and then realized.. if it took me 2 weeks .. in the greater scheme of things.. who cared ....

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Hopefully you have afternoon shade there. As Ken said, what is your soil like?

Also, how large a space is it? In my garden my one Annabelle is easily 10’ wide since I haven’t yet had a chance to whack out pieces of it this year. Most years I dig out chunks to give away, so if this is a project that you can be a bit patient on, you may be able to cover a huge swath with that many. Be sure to allow for sight lines near the road since they are tall enough to block the view.

Mine grows in sun until about 2pm and my soil is acid fine sandy loam which is already quite loose. The area was originally mulched, but none has been added for yonks other than fallen leaves. No fertilizer and it grows like crazy. I did water for the first three or so years.

1. Give up trying to plant "properly". I've been doing this stuff for 25 years, on every conceivable scale, and the only thing I know any more...I don't know how to do this according to how others say. Which is a ludicrous proposition.

2. Power equipment. Just like there's never too much bacon, any opportunity is one to use power equipment. but I'll assume you are just going to use a shovel.

3. Do not mess around with bed prep. Strip the sod. Spray it. Whatever you are comfortable with. But do NOT mess around with bed prep. Do this right the first time. It will save you so much time later.

4. Water before you start digging. Soil adequately moistened is a lot easier to dig in. If you are looking at this project and already thinking about the morning after, set a sprinkler out for a bit a day or two ahead of time.

5. Have tools adequate to the conditions. Having the right tools for the job always makes it easier. What are those tools? Depends on the conditions. Gravely soil? Does the yard get hard when the moisture of spring dries out come summer? See above note about power equipment.

6. Mulched beds? Watering? Whatever you are going to do, have it planned, set it out in stages you can accomplish...and your criteria are the only ones that matter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

There’s a lot of garden wisdom in these replies for me to think through. Example: “Be sure to allow for sight lines near the road since they are tall enough to block the view.” I hadn’t thought of that.

Ken, I bought these at a predominantly wholesale operation. When selecting ten each of ‘Incrediball” and ‘Annabelle’, I thought to myself, “Ken wouldn’t like this.”

It’s a bit of a risk, but H. a. has been very reliable for me. BTW, I cut mine back each fall. The size is more manageable and the flowers incrediball!

I thought to myself, “Ken wouldn’t like this.”

==>>> oh jeez.. lol ... at least i got you thinking about it.. but personally.. i think you might need higher quality garden friends in your head ... lol ..

the only thing i have to add .. you start by saying you are aging.. and losing your edge on full contact gardening.. and then you say.. hey .. i go out and cut them down every year to beat them back ... what happens when you cant or dont want to do that every year???

as to the monoculture.. im not really aware of any major plagues with Hs .... its just the usual caveat for beginners ... whatever the plants .... if it pleases you ... go for it ... besides.. you already have them ...

ken

"... what happens when you cant or dont want to do that every year???"

Geez, Ken, I'm 61 not 91! My body is falling apart to be sure, but pending some major calamity, I should be able to perform shrub maintenance for a few years. Our grandkids don't know this yet, but we are planning on them assisting us with such chores as they get a bit older. I know what your thinking: "Yeah, right!"

I have to agree about shrub maint. as one gets older. I have boxwood borders and the edging of and the trimming are becoming things I tend to put off longer and longer. In doing so, it makes more work in the long run!

Your project sounds ambitious and why not give it a go? Nothing is permanent. Change happens. At least you'll get some enjoyment out of it as long as you wish to.

Well, there are a lot of variables to gardening (or just maintaining a property) as we age — that much much I am coming to understand quickly. A strategy is in order, but the most important thing is to keep at it, which I intend to do. :)