Wow.. rudbeckia and coneflowers are the last 2 of my perennials I haven't gotten around to sowing.. Every day something more pressing takes me from the sowing. :( I'd better get a move on! I don't think you have anything to worry about. If it looks like a really long term freeze coming. (like days on end) then you might want to add additional cover if the sprouts have developed further. Its pretty unlikely that is going to happen where you are, right?

Token, I hope your seeds sprout soon, I hate to think that these hyped up seeds aren't very good sprouters? I received some in a trade and have not even sown them yet. Checking my records, last year I sowed about 10 containers total of Rudbeckia hirta. Some Indian Summer, Cappucino, Irish Eyes, etc. around March 1st and those sprouted April 10th and 11th. Then I bought another packet of 'Indian Summer' and sowed those March 21st, which sprouted mid-April. They all had plenty of sprouts and most of them bloomed nicely. I expect some of the plants will come back to bloom for a 2nd year. It's time to get around to sowing the Cherry Brandy, I want some more 'Cappucino' and 'Indian Summer' too just in case plants don't come back. I think the Cappucino would look good mixed with the Cherry Brandy. Rudbeckia hirta 'Cappucino' in middle, Helenium 'Mardi Gras' in the background. Unfortunatley the basil and Melampodium in front decided to take over the bed and got huge...won't make that mistake next year. :)

everything growing nicely. two failure cases. impatiens and gazania. hardly any seedlings, may be seeds were bad, these were last year's bargain seeds. major damage that happened during vacation is to poppies. poppies are lying on ground and turned yellow. looks like lack of water, sun or may be a fox walked over them. i am trying to revive them. a bush which looked so thin while planting poppies, has grown so much in my absence and taken over the poppies area. person watering jugs in my absence removed all tags. i have no way to distinguish between different lobelias and marigolds! planted out - bachlers button - cornflower - calendula - california poppy - candytuft - Night Scented Stock - Alyssum Carpet-of-Snow - Stock: Dwarf Ten Week - Nicotiana Sensation - Mignonette - petunia - aster - livingston daisy - Swan River Daisy Bravo Mix - sweet peas (just three plants) - Rudbeckia - petunia - pot - multi - Convolvulus tricolor - phlox (annual one) - verbena - runner beans - lobelia - crystal-trailing with leaves- still in jugs - Alyssum Carpet-of-Snow - lobelia - blue - marrigold - african - marrigold - french - pansy - clear - pansy - mini - pansy - giant - petunia - rose - single - tomato - salvia - zinnia failure cases - Gazania - impatien double yet to sow - nasturtium - zinnia (remaining seeds) - marigold (remaining seeds) - morning glory autumn sown in bloom - pansy autumn sown showing growth now - sweet william - snapdragon non wintersown plants - dahlias tuber transplant successful and it got leaves - one of the dead geranium showed some sign of life! - rose have got buds. - jasmine blooming - lily of valley pips showing some leaves.

FWIW, I've always had spotty germination with PCF and Gaillardia. To compensate, I sow REALLY thickly. I'm not as diligent about watering; they get it when I'm out there, and whichever ones I "see" that are definitely needing it. Ruds are also sprinkled really thickly, but I have spotty patchy germination, as well. Do you "place" your seeds in the containers, or just sprinkle them in? I count pretty much nothing; just sow heavily. And...FWIW, I'm still WSing- by that I mean still going...because I just didn't do enough over the winter/early spring, and I just want to do more. It's not too late to still start things. Toss in some Sweet Williams- they're bis, so they'll grow well this year, and flower next (and you'll likely never have to WS them again; I WSd them one year about 5 years ago, and don't have to ever re-WS them. Super easy). Also Dianthus/Carnations don't need cold strat, so you could do those...I'm sure there's piles of perennials that don't need cold strat that you could start now; I just don't have a list.