I planted zinnia, broccoli and onions seeds outside using the styrafoam cooler with a piece of plexiglass on top. I knew that once they germinate that I can't leave the top on but wasn't sure what I needed to do before that happens. Because I had that fear that they needed warmer temps, I've only planted a few so far. I'm going to plant some more but keep them inside for now. I didn't want to have to go through the trouble of taking them in/out later to get them use to the temps outside (stratification I think it is called?)

Well, zinnias are my first choice, but you already have them. For next year, you can direct sow the following seeds from early winter to early spring and have cool-season flowers begin blooming between mid-March and mid-April: poppies, larkspur, Texas bluebonnets, chamomile (an herb with tiny white daisy-type flowers), and snapdragons. Right now (or in the next couple of weeks) you can direct sow the following for blooms this year: nasturtiums, hollyhock, verbena bonariensis (tall verbena), sunflowers, globe amaranth (gomphrena), celosia, marigolds, salvia farinacea, Texas hummingbird sage (red flowers), veronica (purplish-blue, pink or white flowers), cosmos (won't bloom until later in the summer), morning glories if you have a fence or trellis for them to climb, and coneflowers. In my zone 7B garden, many of the above reseed themselves and come back most years with little, if any, assistance from me. Good luck, Dawn

Finding Your Last Spring Freeze Day To find your "Week 0" when frost is unlikely on your area, see USDA map below. For example, I live in PNW near Seattle. I'm choosing to use "March 15th" for my calendar. ____________________ Finding Your Plant Hardiness Zone Number You can also find your growth zone by this USDA ARS link to help you select seeds/plants hardy in your area. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Default.aspx ____________________ Example Farmer's Almanac of USDA Guide for vegetable crops that can be found online for your zone. This one generated for z8b. For you zone on such sites, just plug in your zipcode or growth zone, as requested and they generate a graph or list of general Seed Sowing, Plant Growing, and Harvest Times. Example Urban Farmer Vegetable Planting Schedule by Zone and Map Details by State Vegetable Planting Schedules http://www.ufseeds.com/Vegetable-Planting-Schedules.html For instance, when z8 is viewed, z8b would be earlier and z8a later in the range. If having an unusually warm or cold season, one might choose to adjust the date range shown by a half week. week, or maybe two, as appropriate. ____________________ Hope this helps!

Park Seed is a company I would recommend. Full afternoon sun is different than full morning sun, so if it is shade in the am and full sun in the PM in hot dry conditions, might as well be full sun. Are you just thinking planters or garden too? Coreopsis is an easy to grow from seed plant but it is perennial and like all perennials, starts out a bit slow but really takes off later on. Can't beat petunias for full sun, they are easy to grow from seed. So actually are old fashioned geraniums. Another perennial that would be perfect for you would be gaillardia, which goes by the common name "Prairie Blanket." Good both in the ground and containers. Marigolds easy from seed. Those are all kind of common in the big box stores except for the gaillardia and corepsis. The thing that I do with the common big box annuals when I'm growing from seed, is get a color or variation that is not commonly found. Another plant is alyssum. I've grown peach and yellowish ones, but I actually prefer the purple ones for their scent. Carnation and lavender, also easy to grow from seed. Perennials but look good the first year. Anything in the mint family, which includes bee balm, monarda, salvias and oregano, etc. Many types of verbenas, both dwarf and tall. Also same with snapdragons. Most have a dry spell midsummer, but some more everblooming than others. Then there are the many wonderful members of the sunflower family . . . morning glories easy to grow from seed . . . echinacea but watch out if you have deer and bunnies, they love it. Little begonias, angel wings and impatiens all easy or relatively easy to grow for shade. Lobelia is a fave of mine for shade, but in needs serious shade, any variety. Ajuga as a flowering groundcover for shade . . . ice plant. Honestly if you peruse some of the good seed catalogs you will be astounded. Yarrow, pansies if you keep them cut back bloom all summer . . . it would be easier for me to tell you what doesn't work--milkweed. It's fine to sow in the garden, but very hard to start ahead of time. Sorry I can't recommend other seed companies, but I buy from ones mostly in my zone, which is moist and northern. Harris, Stokes, Johnny's. Better to support smaller regional seed companies, IMHO. When we bought for plant sales and landscaping at the greenhouse, we bought in bulk, which is why I am not as familiar with good small seed companies. I always found something fun at Park, and they are great for customer service and philanthropy. Home base is S. Carolina? maybe north but I think south. But they have growers all over the country.