Gabe - late to this thread but some suggestions. If you are going to plant in the spring wait until mid March because NC is notorious for getting ice storms in early March and they can really wreak havoc with plants.
Second - Feb March April are great times for pulling up ivy and getting most of the buried roots because we get so much rain during that time. I cleared a ten foot patch along the entire length of the back of my house this year with ease because I pulled when the ground was moist and the roots came free more easily. Once it gets warmer the ground gets hard and it turns into backbreaking work.
As for the dwarfs, you were given good advice. The fans will be shorter than for the TB's but this may take until spring to really become evident. I have many TB's that have only little fans now, no bigger than the SDB's in some cases, but by spring the TB leaves will be much taller. Having said that, there are other medians, such as the intermediates and border bearded, that while classified as shorter have foiliage that is just as tall as some of the TB's (Viper being a great example). So while it is frustrating to have to wait, it really may take until some of them bloom to know what you have.
