I am wondering if I should put them in partial shade even though the seeds haven't germinated yet. The reason I'm debating doing this is because I know cool weather veggies have a difficult time even germinating if the weather is really hot. With the exception of lettuce that typically has germination issues above 75F or so SOIL temps cool season veggies love warm soils. Germination rates and speed are usually better and faster when seeds are sown in the summer and plants mature in the fall. Most folks seem to sow the seeds into cool/cold soil and have the plants mature in the summer which is 100% backward from how most of these cool season crops do their best. They like warm soil and cool air, not cool soil and warm air. I am not suggesting we all quit sowing seeds for a spring crop, just that the fall crop will germinate and grow faster due to warmer soil temps and longer days. The soil mixture I'm using is a combination of equal parts spahgnum peat moss, regular peat moss, Miracle Gro potting mix, and topsoil. The peat does help the soil to retain longer water. I don't know if prolonged water retention will help cool down the cool weather veggies I'm planting; I also don't know that if prolonged soil retention due to the peat moss helps them keep cool if it prolongs how long they're kept cool as a result of this. I just figured I'd bring it up. Sphagnum peat moss is 'regular' peat moss ;) I don't know why you would add topsoil to this or any other container mix, it's not going to do your plants any favors. The mix itself isn't going to do anything in regard to the internal temperature of the container. Here is what I suggest. If these containers can be moved to a shady place do so. Not so much because of the temps in your area, but because the bare mix in the sun is going to dry down on the surface from evaporation quickly and you don't want it drying out when trying to germinate seeds right in the pot. Once you have germination, move them back into full sun for best growth. If moving the pots isn't practical then don't do it. It will be fine. In the event something like the lettuce doesn't germinate in say 10 days-2 weeks it was too warm for it and just resow.

Dana, Sorry to take so long to read your follow up. I would love to trade for some iris and groundcover. I'm moving soon and trying to dress up my yard for sale. Email me at eamoody@emory.edu and we'll arrange a trade. I would also love the rosemary for the next house, so even if it's not ready yet I'd be willing to wait. You decide what you can part with most.

Boyne City? Lake effect cooling? Has it been that hot up there? I would guess everything may germinate fine with the possible exception of the lettuce, but I'd still try it. Once germinated, I'd let them grow in full sun but keep an eye on them. tj

Sorry to hear about your bud! P. loefgrenii is a really strong bloomer once it gets started. If you already have buds I'm sure it will bloom. I expect it will take a break for summer--it does here, although I'm not exactly sure for how long. 'Mission Dolores' dying is no surprise given its behavior in California and elsewhere. Is there anything from 2500 m in the Andes that can make it in Florida? I've heard the most adaptable plant to come out of that location/elevation is the potato, which I understand can be grown in Florida, as a cool season crop. However, other plants that grow with the Tacsonias, such as cool growing Masdevallia and Dracula Orchids from similar elevations, are also impossible. I consider our climate borderline too hot for most Tacsonias. They do SO much better in SF or on the coast. Our temperatures average 75/55 in summer (at least the last 2). In other words, our summer highs are about the same as your summer lows. Highs in more optimal areas average about 10 degrees cooler than us. I'll give a link to the temperatures which killed big, established, blooming plants of P. antioquiensis and P. 'Mission Dolores'. P. parritae survived, as did a plant of P. antioquiensis next door growing in heavy shade. These are plants of SocalBill, who has posted pictures here. The weather station is not exactly where he lives, but it should be close enough. This was not a dry period, with average humidity in the 70s or 80s, peaking around 100% at night. Dew points were high, mostly upper 60s, low 70s. Bill thinks the hot days combined with warm nights did them in. I think grafting is the way to go to try to improve heat tolerance. The people I know offhand who are trying it now are two graduate students at UF. One of these has posted on this site as ethane. He has a nice tutorial on grafting and I believe he or the other UF student are happy to provide any advice. Another person trying grafting is the wife of "eristal" the PSI president (she's also the PSI treasurer). Here is a link that might be useful: Extended heat wave, 2012, Southern CA