LA's are pretty easy to grow. They don't like to be left in water that freezes, so many people who have them in pools of water have them in pots so they can take them out of the water during the winter. You are zone 8a so probably have very few freezing days in the winter. But you don't want your muck too wet during the coldest months.
They are super easy to plant. I mix soil with manure and compost, Then you pop the rhizomes in so they are about two inches below the surface and cover them with soil. You then put about 3 inches or so of mulch over them to help retain the moisture. They are heavy feeders because of their love of water so fertilize them 3 times a year with a basic 8-8-8 fertilizer.
In warmer climates (like mine and yours) the LA's go dormant in the summer, then come out of dormancy in the fall (when they are usually shipped) and grow all winter and into spring bloom time. To help keep the beds neat you can cut down the foliage to about 6 inches during the summer dormant months (the foliage starts to look pretty ratty by then). You will see all the new shoots come up again in the fall.
