The things I've read lately say not to cut plants back any more than you have to when you move them. The roots need food from the leaves in order to recover. If you haven't dug up the azaleas yet, can you wait to do it after they go dormant for the winter? Cutting them back now may encourage new growth that won't harden off before winter hits. It will also cut off buds for next spring's blooms. As for the oleander, they don't survive in our area farther north, but I'd think that moving them to the south side of the house, preferably near a wall or the house that will soak up heat during the day to radiate to the plants at night would help. Good luck with all your transplanting. I'm going to be doing a lot of that once things go dormant.

I agree, fall is a good time to transplant especially in zone 7. The best time is before you expect rain and on a cloudy day. Water them in well at the time of transplanting especially if rain is not expected. Most plants will develop a good root system over winter and be established when spring arrives giving you a jumpstart. Cutting back first often makes plants easier to handle and since you are wanting to concentrate on root growth, its fine and sometimes best to cut back. If a plant is marginally hardy however, I would not cut it back until spring and wait to transplant it in spring. Some plants resent being moved at all so you might have some losses. When a plant falls into this category, I wait until its fully dormant to move it if I absolutely must. Other plants could care less, seem not to notice and can be moved any time. Its a matter of trial and error sometimes. I plant most hardy annual seeds in fall and definitely the ones needing cold stratification. Perennials are best sown in fall as well most of the time. You can look each type up. Seeds that birds enjoy eating like sunflower seed would be be better planted in late winter or spring. Many hardy annuals will germinate in fall and stay as a small rosette during winter and be well set to take off in spring. Often you just have to use common sense and think how nature sows seed for any given plant. If seeds fall to the ground in fall, its a good time to plant which is what happens in nature. If a seed is large, its best to bury it about the depth of the seed size while fine seed is best raked in or barely covered. You might want to mark certain seeds. I always think I will remember where I planted something but I never do. Native plants often grow much larger in a yard or garden setting than they do in their natural habitat because of richer garden soil and regular irrigation. Its very common for people to over plant or to plant them too close and/or end up with a larger plant than anticipated.

Hi Chris, I have not tried much this, mostly because I left the "wild" stuff" when we built our house and built my gardens around it. I have transplanted yucca (harder because you have to get a good tap root) and cactus (very easy) to more convenient spots and been quite successful with it. Good luck and please let us know how you fare! Pam T wishccr

Hi I have only transplanted Grevillea banksii from your list, and sadly I have lost a few I feel natives are a hard lot to transplant. But if you want to have a go, by all means pot them into large pots and try and get as much soil around the rootball as you can without disturbing too many of the roots, fill with potting mix. But if they are too big and you have to cut the tap root I dont give Grevillea's much hope, I would leave them in those pots for a while if they survive as disturbing them again too soon would most likely kill them off. Also water them in with seasol it should help a bit my bottle says that is Ok for Natives. Good Luck whatever you do .....MM.