Jim, I got my seed from Ron just before Christmas and sowed it immediately; you should probably do the same. If I get material like that later than about mid-January I hold on to it (fridge) and sow in August. There's enough time now for the frits, alliums, Themidaceae to germinate and have a good length of time to grow on before they go dormant. My first frits (from seed collected and sown last year) are just germinating now. Loads of frit leaves are up in the greenhouse and there's buds showing on F. stenanthera and gibbosa. If we get really cold between now and the end of 'winter' your green and growing western frits will need significant protection. When F. liliacea did well for me outdoors for 3 years it was only because it was cold enough to delay emergence until late February. The Dichelostemma should be fine - I have many clumps of Themidaceae up all over the garden and this is normal - they do just fine. I have a number of Florida Trillium underwoodii in unfurled leaf and SW Georgia T. decipiens well up and these will be protected if we get cold. I'm pretty sure it is not the cold per se that does things in - it is rapid thawing and desiccation you need to protect against. A friend did a very elegant experiment last year - 2 underwoodii in the ground, one with a flowerpot over it, one without. They experienced the same temperatures but the one with the flowerpot was fine - it thawed slowly and wasn't allowed to desiccate because the pot kept the sun off the leaves, the humidity up and wind away. The uncovered plant was completely crisped. Best, J John T Lonsdale PhD 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Home: 610 594 9232 Cell: 484 678 9856 Fax: 801 327 1266 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ USDA Zone 6b