Surface sow (some light may be beneficial to germination), takes 2 - 3 weeks to germinate at 65F.

These are dwarf, you'll want them near the front with their short height, in sun. As with many alpine plants, they could be short lived perennials or could behave as annuals or biennials in your warmer humid climate but should self sow if you don't deadhead.

You could direct sow, I generally do with poppies - if you have a place prepared for the plants you could sow some now, or wait and put all of the seeds out in late winter/early Spring.....Fall or Spring is the suggested time for direct sowing - doing both may give you a longer succession of blooms.