I had pretty good luck buying bargain plants in the fall for my daughter's and my son's gardens in Salt Lake. The nurseries there shut down in October, and they mark all the big stuff 40% off sometimes. So being as we were on a budget (and I was paying) we took a chance the first year buying shrubs, perennials and even got apple trees from Home Depot for $14 each, marked down from $59. They all lived. A few of the daylilies I planted in the fall didn't make it but that was a drainage problem with the heavy clay soil there, before we amended with 25 pickup truckloads of compost.
But we didn't ever fertilize any of them until growth started up in spring. I also had to remind them to water a little bit when the weather was dry for long stretches in the fall, after the irrigation was turned off. Probably a few dozen watering cans were carried around that garden the first winter. But, since then, I've fall planted a bunch more stuff and it's all survived. It's when I lose my mind and plant stuff in June or July there that I have losses. Unless I'm staying for weeks, and can water new plants every day, plus make sure they're shaded they just dry up. (my kids are occupied with babies and toddlers now, so asking them to check watering of plants is useless)
