magicpepper and
Swartmamba are correct - You really do have to start inside quite early for our climate. I've done all my growing inside since I started last Spring/early Summer. I had hoped to start a fresh new line of seedlings to put out this summer, but lack of space and not having time due to other things in life, it sadly didn't happen.
Last summer I -did- try to grow a few of the typical Annuum's that you can pick up at Walmart, etc (i.e. Cayenne, Bell, Jalapeno), but I quickly found out that if you're going to grow outside around here that:
a) Planting in even mid-May (from seed) is a no-go due to the frost/cold and excessive rain
b) If you have heavy soil that has a lot of clay, such as what's in my yard (here in Pictou County) then they'll have a very tough time. You'll want to invest in at least some 3-in-1 soil (i.e. such as what SuperStore sells) and Perlite to mix in, if you can find it (to help aerate the soil and keep it from compacting so much)
c) The PH level in these parts is actually fairly well-balanced for what peppers need (sits around 6-7 in my experience), but I'm guessing (though, people far more experienced could probably better inform you) you'd want to keep lime around just in case, over time, that changes
d) It'd likely be good to invest in plant food (I use a Plant-Prod 20-20-20 but, again, people more experienced could tell you better lol), granular seaweed (supposed to mix it in, but I put it on top since it seems to help keep fungus gnats & the like subdued), perhaps Epsom salt, bone & blood meal, etc.
If you're looking towards at least Habanero & hotter then
magicpepper is likely correct - start around December/January, depending on the lighting you have inside to work with, to give them a good head-start and chance to mature. Our season is so short (we're lucky to even get remotely close to two solid months of summer heat) that you'll probably want them to be mature enough that they've already started flowering before you work on hardening off to put them outside full time. And as he mentioned, you'll likely want to keep them in containers so you can potentially bring them back in around mid-September (my estimate). And when they are hardened, do your best to find a space where they'll get the very most sun access you can find.
Inside I have my plants in a space I built in our basement where I have three sets of T8 fluorescent fixtures and a single HPS 1000w bulb. Around the start of June I put most of my plants outside for the first time (mostly in the hopes to trying to reduce the nasty aphid infestation I've dealt with for months), and I screwed up and didn't harden them off properly and most lost a ton of leaves. BUT I have very quickly discovered that, even though my 1000w bulb is designed to mimic the sun, it certainly doesn't compare to the real thing - even though the plants outside (mostly Naga Jolokia) are slowly growing new leaves, they seem to be even more focused on growing a ton of flowers... It's making me want an actual greenhouse all the more. lol
