The best time for me is in the middle of winter when I'm looking for distraction. By March and April I'm busy, busy, busy in the garden and often don't get to things I've set aside for spring sowing. This year I'm going to make an extra effort to at least sow Scabiosa Isaac House Blend, I've been holding onto these "sow after last frost" seeds for longer than I care to admit and really want to see if they look as lovely as google images says.

This is turning into a very weird weather year for many of us. Because of that, it's hard to give you an absolute answer. Be aware that no matter what any of us tell you, it's nature that has the final answer in when those seeds will sprout. My best guess is that it's probably fine for perennials hardy to your area, and hardy annuals too. I'd definitely wait for anything tender. And if perennials and hardy annuals would sprout early, they have a much better chance of survival in their containers. And keeping them in a shady spot is definitely a good idea until spring is in the air. This is probably our coldest part of winter most years, and it's when I sow my hardy annuals and perennials. I sowed my first jugs a few days ago. I'd go for it if I were you. The chance that they'll sprout in shade is minimal I think, and winter might just stay mild this year. Karen

Well, I think you should wait until they get bigger, you're in my zone, and I'd dig them out with a spoon, whatever, and transplant in hunks about Sep 1 although I don't know if they will bloom in time to self seed which they do like crazy if you don't mulch. They just might bloom yet if we don't have too early of a frost, wish I could remember how long it takes, it's not right away but maybe as much as 3 weeks from good growth to blooms, sunny probably bloom much faster, they tolerate some shade and still bloom some, too much shade they are healthy but not blooming for me. I have so many I don't know what to do with them all am letting them self seed and transplanting to make a full border in the front and back because they bloom well, spread, and I like them. Am done transplanting this year but have more going and will continue until I get what I want, then start pulling the excess. Once they start blooming in early summer, they bloom well until frost. They are among the easiest to transplant so long as you water them the first couple of weeks. I'd just be afraid to transplant when they might be too tiny to survive especially now that it's pretty hot. I suppose you could have direct sowed but that is tricky in summer because they have to be kept moist. I started mine in a milk jug winter before last, and now have tons from self sowing. If you want to try that in the future in the summer, I suggest you scoop out a little cavity, fill with potting soil, sow the seeds, and cover with a 2-liter soda bottle with the bottom cut out, then water over the bottle because the seeds need light to germinate I think but probably will anyway. Oh, leave the cap off. Somebody taught me that trick when I sowed some gypsophilia paniculata which doesn't like to be transplanted. When you don't see moisture in the bottle or soil where they are planted looks dry, water over the bottle well. Then take the bottle off once they're germinated and grown a bit and don't let them dry out until they can make it on their own. You could cut the bottom of whatever you sowed them in and plant that, reason being they're less likely to crumble on you. Mine I had to dig up in chunks from the ground and slice in sections with a knife to transplant but used a spoon to scoop them out of a porch box I'd planted them in, worked well a few years back. Then I saved some seeds and winter sowed those, meant to this year but didn't get around to it so feared I may have lost them but got lucky. The main thing is if you want them next year, to get them blooming ASAP so they'll set seed you can either collect or let self sow. The particular variety I happen to have, some white, don't know the name, got from American Meadows a few years back, happens to be an excellent spreader so I wanted to keep those particular ones going and not buy seeds for a different kind. I tried some colored ones, and they don't spread or trail at all, and I think some whites don't either. They will grow under extremely dry conditions in poor, heavy soil once established. Hope this helps. Sorry it's so long.

I did something very similar in 2003. Just around thanksgiving with our first snow, I broadcasted out the prairie seeds over a 60x15 prepared area. No mulch, no amendment and the blanket of snow was my protection from birds. Also by this time the mice/voles ect. are housed up for the winter. My seed (flowers/grasses) were individually ordered from reputable native seed suppliers...no walmart mixes just for the simple fact you usually can't find any that do not contain a few non-native noxious/invasive species...like Dames Rocket, Bachelor's Button and Baby's Breath for example; two of which are on our local monitor list and one which made it too the noxious weed list.