presuming you have packaged seed.. read the package.. if it says 90 days to bloom ... that means your first bloom would be around 9/10 ... then ask.. when is your first frost ... if you are in the north ... if its 10/1 ... whats the use .... then you have all the issues of intense summer heat on small seedlings... if you are doing this in the ground .... and then the intensity of summer sun versus spring sun ... and whether they will burn to a crisp .... can it be done.. probably.. give it a try.. i learned more experimenting.. than i ever got from a book or the web .... and i tend to remember experiments longer than something i read ... but i wouldnt get too wound up in it all ... depending.. again.. where you are in IL now.. if your seeds will bloom in 30 to 45 days.. its another game altogether ... the final thought is whether the seeds will be properly stored over winter.. and viable for proper planting time next spring .... or whether you will remember to do it then .. lol ... aw.. what the heck.. wing it.. just do it.. report back .... ken

I assume you are talking about Rudbeckia hirta seeds? No, it's not too late. I have winter-sown these and they are hardy seedlings and sprout fairly early. I plant them out in May and usually have blooms by mid-July or so. You will probably get blooms later in the season instead. Also, some may act like a biennial and will likely over-winter and give you a good show next year. They like good drainage, and will tolerate some drought, but since this is a bird bath garden, it's easy to give them a shot of water when you're changing the water in the bird bath. Just a note about bird baths (I am an avid backyard birder) - if you have cats or hawks that frequent your yard, bird baths need to be out in the open, where the birds are able to keep a good eye on predators that may be soaring or crouching behind a perennial. They also need some cover nearby to dash into in case a hawk attacks - a dense shrub is good.

I would think so Joanne. I'm busy preparing for a plant sale which I'm holding this weekend and haven't really had time for the annuals. There are some waiting for me on the deck which I winter sowed, but as I start cleaning some of the garden areas after this weekend, I'll be direct sowing as I go. I still have lots of seeds left and I'd rather not keep them and start fresh next year. Our season goes late - well into October - and I expect lots of blooms!

We have had a lot of heat here in Washington DC, so I have been sowing under my tomatoes and squash. That gives them some sun protection, a nursery of sorts. The summer veggies will be spent in a month when the salad crops are reaching for all the sun they can get.