I would like to try direct sowing some flower seeds in the Fall to assure that I get blooms in the Spring from them. Here's my dilemma..For the last two years,We have paid somebody to do our Fall maintenance and put down mulch. My husband insists we have mulch spread both in Spring and Fall. How can I continue to have the fall mulching session and direct sow flower seeds where I want them to grow? I feel that the Fall mulching keeps the soil too moist or wet. The soil is very rich, I think it needs to be lighter if that makes sense. Hubby wants the flowerbeds to look neat, even in the winter. I feel that there's still mulch left on the flowerbeds from the Spring Mulching..why pay for adding more? If I direct sow before Mr. B comes to do the Fall mulching, won't the mulch smother the seeds and they not be able to germinate? If we do have Mr. B to Fall mulch, can't I just pull the mulch away to sow the seeds and not put the mulch back where the new seeds are sown? This question seems so long but I need to work this out in my mind. I have never sown any seeds in the Fall.

Scarlet sage (Salvia Coccinea) should still bloom from seed by fall, they germinate quickly, but take some time to get going on clay. They're not 100% perennial in zone 8a, but a lot can eventually return depending on mulch/weather and they do self seed well. They bloom from now until frost, but best show for us has been in early fall. Your spot sounds good because they seem to appreciate a little shade. We've been happy using them as a temporary ground cover in the open spots while the shrubs grown in. Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia coccinea at wildflower.org

Its really a matter of your own personal preference, time & space issues, the condition of your planting area and many other factors that vary. People who are loyal devotees to the WS method swear by it and won't use any method except that one for all types of seed. They collect & store lots of jugs, buy lots of potting soil and use this method even for seeds which only require warm moist conditions and which germinate easily in a week or 14 days. Then they typically wait to sow in December (often on the solstice) but never before that. Thats perfectly fine but its sort of a made up law on that forum. Other people prefer to sow the 'needs warm/moist only' seeds directly in spring or sow indoors to get an early start on plants and use the WS method only for the ones needing cold. Personally, that makes sense to me while WS'ing those does not so that is what I do. I always sow hardy annuals in late summer to early fall. They come up, put in time for good root growth and then spend winter as green rosettes ready to take off much earlier in spring than if I'd waited or WS'd them. Tender annuals OTH are sown in spring. Shrubs and some other native seeds need a warm period followed by cold followed by warm so fall is the best time, especially if you are unsure about conditions necessary to break dormancy, some seeds have several 'locks' on dormancy to protect them from germinating at the wrong time so these conditions must be met. Many seeds naturally drop to the ground during fall. If you wait too long into fall, you won't find seeds to collect from some plants as next years seeds are already naturally sown. Some seeds need soaking and scarification. The point is, there is no single one size fits all answer as the only best way to sow seeds in general. WS'ing is a good method generally speaking, but not always. I've had some types of seeds rot doing that while others do fine. It also depends on which part of the country you live in, up north they stay frozen and have snow most of the winter, here in Oklahoma we do not. Echinacea is an easy one so choose whatever appeals to you. I personally do all the types of sowing mentioned above, it depends on the type of seed and which is the most efficient method.

If you just scatter them in the garden, it will difficult to distinguish the weeds from the flower seedlings next year. I like to sow them in pots or in a separate bed in rows so that I know which are or aren't wanted seedlings. At least sow some in pots or rows so that you have examples to ID seedlings from. That said, my nonhybrid Helenium have self-seeded some on their own, though the hybrids haven't at all. The brunnera may not come true to the selection such as Jack Frost or other silver ones, but the green ones self-seed vigorously. IME most mallows will spread themselves with no further input from humanity. My digitalis sows itself enough to still be in my garden 20+ years after I got my first plants. I don't have experience with the others.