Early fall is a good time to plant flowering bushes and transplant irises and lilies. For a community garden, pick hardy, drought-tolerant flowers.
Some flowering bushes, like lantana, can get very large, so give them plenty of room to grow. Dig a hole in the ground the size of the pot. Turn the plant upside down in your hand to remove it from the pot while keeping the plant and roots intact. Put the soil and roots in the hole. Pour water in the hole, fill the hole with soil, and water some more on top. Surround the bush with landscaping cloth or cardboard and put a thick layer of mulch on top. Wood mulch works well for any kind of bush.
Irises, lilies, and similar bulb flowers grow in clumps. A large clump can be divided up and some of it transplanted to a new location in early fall. Carefully dig up some of the bulbs with as much of the surrounding soil attached as possible. Be careful not to break the bulbs or the roots coming off of the bulbs. Keep the bulbs moist in transit. You may carefully separate the bulbs and plant them separately, but you can also plant them in clumps. Give them room on the ground to spread. Wood mulch also works for bulbs.
Links to More Information
Oklahoma Proven Shrubs https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/oklahoma-proven/shrubs/
Oklahoma Native Plants List : 14 Stunning Garden Flowers https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/oklahoma-native-plants-list/
