I plant a couple acres of sunflowers and sow them about an inch (I use a machine to sow) under the soil. I'm in 7a and sow the first seeds the beginning of May and keep sowing every couple weeks until early Sept. Some years we can cut sunflowers well into Nov. All of our rows are under black plastic which warms the soil and extends our growing season by a couple weeks on either end.
Karyn

Where I live, four o'clocks self-sow. Planted next to a building, they in fact overwinter and survive as perennials in that microclimate.

Most perennials have limited blooming seasons. For shade, I'd recommend astilbe. You might want to consider foliage plants such as hostas or ferns for that shady area.

I always plant sunflowers outdoors.

As you are in zone 5 like me, I wouldn't set seedlings out on the three-season porch for a while, until nighttime temperatures are reliably above freezing in that area. It sounds like a good spot to harden your seedlings off, though, especially if there are windows you can open to let in the wind and make your seedlings sturdier. That said, don't just plop them out there for good. Start with an hour, then each day extend the time you leave them out there. Examine the seedlings and you'll notice when the stems begin to harden from exposure to the elements. There are really two main killers of tender seedlings: wind, which can snap the stems; and sun, which can scorch the leaves. You need to slowly acclimate the baby plants to these two elements.

There are many self-sowing annuals in our area. These include nicotiana, snapdragons, moss roses, verbena bonariensis, coleus, poppies, and many others. Have fun!

chaz,

thanks for the reply.

Yes, i am aware of the self-sowing of 4-o'clocks. this will be my 3rd season with them. and i also found they do not transplant well -- since i found some yellow seeds, I'll plan the 2 colors accordingly.

I'm going to try wintersowing this year (once i get my seeds in early Feb [errrrrr ... next week])

here are the seeds I've ordered or have on hand:

marigolds
4-O'clocks (yellow & fuschia)
Blue Morning Glory
2 types of wildflower mixes (i'll direct sow these)
Lavender
Sun Flowers (velvet queen & Skyscraper)
Bright Lights Cosmos
Blue Wave petunias

For the north side, it's 55ft in length - so i have A LOT of space to fill, but I do have ferns. When we moved 5 yrs ago I took them from my old house, and they are starting to spread nicely, though a few have died. I usually do impatiens... but i'm looking for perennials. OH i also have those orange day lilies.

I have a few Lily of the valley, but they don't seem to be doing well. the first batch, 4 of the 6 bulbs died and Spring Hill replaced them. so i shall see this spring if they survived. (had tons at my old house) I've also planted a dwarf bleeding heart... it's shorter than i thought it would be, but did spread quite a bit the second year.

I've looked at the astilbe, (i could do a few colors) but I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about some creeping wintergreen - but again, not sure.

I wanna do it all in one season - but i'm taking it year by year to see what works and what doesn't.

Hopefully with the seeds i'm getting, most being perennials - the back property will be beautiful for years to come without much work.

thanks for all your input.

Perennial gardens are more work not less IMHO
no perennials blooms all season much less perennials for shade
you would be happy if it blooms at all- go for foliage and stature, leaf shape etc. when choosing your plants for shade.
Check out native plants for your area, there will be lots for shade as well.
Winter sowing is great way to expand your gardens fast.
Yes, your sunroom can be used now for ws or for tray prep.
You can also put trays outside, with most perennials it won't hurt them.

>>go for foliage and stature,
>> Check out native plants

Thanks -- I'll look into that.