I live in a southeastern coastal community with many new retirees relocating to the area. At our local Master Gardeners booth at the Farmers Market, the most commonly asked questions always begin with "We have just moved here from ____, just fill in the blank, and we don't know what grows here." I love your idea for making a list. I usually suggest people drive around their neighborhood and note what is doing well and the conditions under which it is growing.
I love Larry's suggestion too but I would add - be sure to keep those bags a good 3' from the trunk of your older trees, you don't want to cover the root flare.