Dear Jaime, Dietes is used as a landscape plant in California or shall I say overused as a landscape plant in California because it grows so well and blooms so long. Most of these are evergreen summer rainfall plants from South Africa. I think the ones I've seen that are most successful were blooming in parts of California where it gets warmer during the day in summer than it does here in coastal Northern California. It may be just that when you were in Florida the plant was in between blooms. There are a lot of Moraea species (different genus, but same habit of sending up intermittent blooms) you think are done blooming that surprise you later when more flowers appear. The only species I grow here has been blooming off and on this summer, but I don't think I have it planted where it would be happiest as there is too much shade from trees. I know many of these are forest margin plants, but in my climate they may need more sunshine since it is cooler. I've read Dietes is not so easy from seed, that in fact there may be delayed germination. As for Irid seed being hard, it's a huge genus and my experience with it is that a lot of Irid seed is very easy for me, but not all. Some genera are easier than others for me, but having said that there are species in those genera that are challenging too. So maybe Jaime you've just tried some that are harder to germinate than others. Alberto seems to have better luck with growing things from seed than a lot of us. Perhaps he has a more forgiving climate or better technique. Things he says germinate 100% for him sometimes haven't germinated at all for me. We have rain here the same time of the year that you do and a whole lot of it as well. I don't have much problem with drainage however since I have trees that soak up the rain and horrible rocky sandstone soil that underneath the top soil we have added isn't even brown. Horrible if you want to grow perennials, vegetables, and other plants that like good soil. I think you should be able to grow these and get them to bloom. I doubt Linda who asked the question first could plant hers out however. And since it grows and flowers very well in Southern California I doubt it needs cold to bloom. As for telling what species it is from the leaves I expect that might be difficult unless you had a key that detailed those differences. Many of the species have sword-like leaves in a loose fan. Mary Sue