I ah enfound they do just fine in an open spot in the garden and IME aren’t particularly fussy.. Have you checked out winter sowing?

That was my thought also. Just direct sow into the garden where you want them. They will be fine.

I have never had any luck direct sowing. I always forget and things dry out and either don't sprout or they do then die.

...but even if i do direct sow my columbine. What about my idea to use the space between my windows as a cold frame for other plants? Do you think it would work? As you can imagine it's not a lot of space, but I'm a city gardener, so can never have too many plants anyway.

I just don't understand the science with cold frames, but from my limited understanding, it seems that my idea could work, no?

I’ve never used a cold frame myself but it sure seems like it would work to me. Just be careful not to overwater, and be patient....

Good luck and keep up posted, it will be interesting to hear of your results.

I guess I don’t really understand what you mean by the space between two windows. The 3” or 4” between the storm window and the main window? If so, what side of the house is it on? If it is on the south side there may be quite a large temperature swing when the sun heats it. It will be totally dry, unlike outdoors, so you will have to keep an eye on moisture to be sure it doesn’t dry out but also hat the potting mix isn’t too soggy.

Why don’t you try Ken in Adrien’s frequent suggestion of trying both, direct sowing some, and your Macgyvered cold frame for some? I honestly haven’t ever had a failure of columbine seeds when sown at any time between the time they ripen and early spring. If you direct sow now, they will sprout when conditions are right, and unless in a totally exposed area with both wind and sun, they seem really resilient as far as surviving the seedling stage IME. I have had several different types of columbines selfseeding in my garden in 3 different homes for something over 30 years since they are a favorite type of flower. Just be sure you mark the area and that there is space for them.

Oh! I see. I assumed the two windows were two bay windows and space is outside the house between the bays.

i am totally baffled by the description also .... any chance at a pic.. so we can hone in for you ???

in our Z5 .. imo ... a cold frame ... which it sounds to me like this is ... simple gives you a couple extra weeks in early spring or late fall ... it has really nothing to do with winter ... especially if you are in ground freeze a5 ... something akin to beating your local friends to the first tomato .... lol ...

keeping this VERY simple ... so in spring.. the glass would trap some sunshine ... thaw or warm the soil under such .. and you might get to germination temps.. a few weeks earlier ... than without ...

but the downside is.. as spring goes along.. you have to be there all the time.. to open and close the glass ... to keep them from first.. growing too fast for ambient weather.. and second.. to close it up in early evening to protect from night temps ...

for you.. my bottom line... take a few seeds ... in a small cell pack .. and JUST GO TRY IT .... if it works.. you learned something for next year ... if it fails.. you still have some seed to try otherwise ... i might also take a second cell pack ... and just bury it under some snow .. or next to the foundation ... and just set it there.. and compare your result ... [in other words.. cell packs vs trays ... start small]

i learned most everything i know.. prior to the WWWeb ... so all i was left with was experimenting ... one of the downsides to the web ... is that you rarely know where search info comes from ... i used to have all these beautiful british gardening books .. and lo and behold.. i found out that z5 Michigan.. has little in common with GB.. go figure ... lol ...

my point.. if i have one ... is you take all the knowledge you can read [why those books were great] .. and then.. just wing it ... trying to narrow it down to your location ....

as noted.. Cs should make this all pretty easy .... at least you arent starting with impossible to grow plants .. been there.. done that .. lol ...

ken

Here is a photo of the space I was wondering about for use as a lazy 'cold frame' (between my two windows). I have west and south facing windows.

I have done all kinds of experimentation in the past and was just hoping to circumvent experimentation in this case. I don't have a ton of seeds. I was thinking of using this for both the Columbine, Milkweed and clematis which, from my understanding both need to be cold stratified.

Not what I imagined at all. Doesn't it get very hot in there when the sun shines?

The area shown outside the window is more like what I thought you meant.

I suppose i could (should?) put a thermometer in there. I don't think it gets particularly hot but there is a rad right below the window ledge.

I wasn't thinking it was supposed to be hot, i was thinking it was supposed to be cold *but not cold enough to freeze*, and to have some natural fluxuations in temperatures, as a seed would have if it were in the garden.

It may heat up from solar gain on a sunny day. I would be more likely to just set it outside. You may also find that slightly larger cells in the packs give you better results since those are really small and so less likely to have consistent moisture.

As others have frequently mentioned, just sow the seeds outdoors as soon as the ground is workable, likely into early April. If you are worried about forgetting to water them, then select a spot that is semi shaded and place a note on your fridge or wall saying "water columbines!" ... you can later transplant them when they've begun to establish.

I have started using the alarm on my phone for this type of reminder. I can label it and set it for whatever time and frequency needed to remind me to do whatever the task is.

Yes, I meant it would get very hot from the sun, not the radiator. And I also meant that heat was a bad thing. I'd just put the cell pack outside. Cover it with chicken wire to keep out any diggers or scratchers. Or just sow direct. You don't even have to wait until the ground is workable. People broadcast hardy seed onto snow. Or check out wintersowing if you're set on using containers. In future try sowing in the autumn rather than spring. Freezing isn't a problem.

not in a million years.. would i have dreamed that up .;... lol ...thx for the pic ...

the issue is.. imo ... stability of temps.. whether cold for stratification.. or warmth for germination ....

on sunny days.. it will be warm in there .. defeating cold strat ... versus ... cold at night for germination ..

it will be cold in there at night ... not necessarily stopping.. but perhaps slowing germination ...

i dont think you are going to get a definitive answer from anyone with equivalent experience ... but boy i would be trying all kinds of things ...

i dont know if you can get .... where are you?? ... 6 oz plastic solo cups ... but i would put a couple seeds in each [and some dampened media if that need be said] ... write the names on the side with a sharpie.. put some in the fridge.. some in the window.. and just see what happens .. whats to lose in winter ... when you are jonesing for some playing in the dirt ... lol ...

ken

be nice if there was a scale in any of these pix.. lol ..

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=6+oz+plastic+solo+cups&t=ffcm&iax=images&iar=images&ia=images

also on the cup i would write the date sown.. fridge/window ...

and those in the fridge would go into baggies to retain moisture ...

and i would save some seed to plant as soon as the snow melts and the ground thaws ...

i might even put a couple cups outside .. in the snow.. against a north wall ... and just let them do their own thing ...

ken

THanks everyone for thoughts and help! :)