Hi Pat and welcome to our shared addiction. I have been growing daylilies for about ten years, but I am far from being an expert. Over 30 years ago and before I knew anything about daylilies, I moved from living about 35 miles from the Marriott's garden to about 120 miles east of you (the Augusta area). First, you made an excellent choice in buying from the Marriotts. They always send big, healthy plants and are indeed generous with the number of both fans and bonus plants. However, our climates could not be much more different. Freedom, CA, is a little southeast of the beach town of Santa Cruz. Their temperatures are a little warmer than Santa Cruz, but summer highs rarely exceed the low-to-mid 80 and there is no humidity compared to what we experience daily once their morning fog has burned off! I agree with Becky that letting your new arrivals rest and relax in their pots. Make sure you keep them moist and let them have some afternoon shade if you can. As for soil amendments, composted pine fines is a very popular additive among many growers in the deep South. Once wet, they hold water for a long time. Home Depot in this area sells a product called "Soil Conditioned" with is listed as 50% pine fines and 50% compost, and it does a good job for me. Regarding fertilizer, you will hear a full range of opinions on that subject. I have seen and heard "experts" recommend balanced fertilizers (like 8-8-8 or 13-13-13) and I have heard others that say only a fertilizer with a ratio of 4-1-2 (like 16-4-8) should be used. Then there are those who strongly recommend only organic fertilizer types. Yes, contradictory, but each one can show you their success with what they are doing. There is one southern grower who categorically states that the most important fertilizer you can add is water. Personally, I use a modest dose of relatively quick release fertilizer in the early fall (as you say, after the temperatures cool) and a stronger dose of the "4-1-2" type (controlled release product) in the spring. Remember that the controlled release fertilizers are listed based on daytime temperatures in the 70's and they will be depleted much more quickly for us here in the South where the low 70's are what we are seeing now as low temperatures, not high temperatures. (By this, I mean that a 6-8 month release fertilizer may be depleted in as little as 3-6 months when temperatures rise well above the mid 70's.) I also like to use some Milorganite in the spring. It is good as a slow release fertilizer, has a number of minor and trace elements, and deer cannot stand its odor. (Some people can't stand the odor too, but some won't use it based on its source - - human waste.) Deer love daylily blossoms and are an issue for some of us! Many people use several liquid fertilizer (soluble fertilizer, fish emulsion, etc.) additions in spring when growth is so rapid.
Whatever you do, keep them moist. It is difficult if not impossible during times like the last month or so. Where I live, we have not had a thundershower in over two weeks and the high temperature has only been below 94 twice during that time.
Good luck. You sound conscientious, so I'm sure they will look good next spring.
Larry