The species you mention are not especially difficult and it sounds like your stratification was appropriate. I'm guessing that your flats are still inside. I bet you will get better sucess when you can move them out into some spring sunshine.

Winter-sowing is ideal for native seeds. There is a forum devoted to it. Asters are notorious for low germination rate - not certain of seeds you listed. I agree with John about putting them outside and giving them more time. Of the seeds I winter-sowed in 2L pop bottles last December, calycanthus, amsonia, several asters, hibiscus, polemonium, polygonatum, thermopsis, trichostema just sprouted in last week of warm weather. Still no sign of Actaea or astrantia.

I used the paper towel method for stratifying wild seeds this year, putting them out in my garage as Deno suggests in his book on seed germination. It worked great, much better than when I have stratified seeds in flats. But even so, I think the fact that your seeds are coming up a couple at a time goes hand in hand with the fact that they are seeds of wild plants. They tend to have germination that is spaced out like that rather than all at once like a domesticated plant. Have you tried using liquid kelp solution for watering? Kelp has something in it similar to GA3 and helps with germination some.

i had unbelieveable result with wildflowers by wintersowing. check out the wintersowing forum

brenda -- I just got one actaea germination (of several seeds) after two winters (or three)! They are really stubborn and will take at least until next Spring for you.

Another vote for winter sowing. I've also had excellent success with it. Check out the forum.

Shelley