Just about any with firm seeds can be direct sown. Balsam, Cosmos, Salvia, Poppies, Amaranthus are a few in my yard that "do there own thing" in my yard. I generally just pick the seeds and toss them back in the bed.

Seeds with lots of "meat" on them, I don't plant until spring because they tend to rot. For example sunflower (although the will reseed on their own) and caster beans are two with larger seeds that I get better results by germinating and planting.

I believe that most seeds that come from a temperate area would work because that is the way Mother Nature designed them.

Definitely sweet peas as well.

Feverfew, Larkspur, Cleome, Snapdragon can be sown now. Larspur will germinate if it gets a bit of moisture and warmth. The seedling will do very well no matter how cold it gets.

Annuals are 50% off here, and I wanted to buy some to plant and have it come back next year. Do they more or less come true from seed? In other words, if I buy red & white, would the seedlings be some variation of red & white or do they revert? (I dont want mauve for example)

What strains/names/kinds should I be looking for?

Lime

Annual Poppies. I sowed mine (the double pink Peony type) already and they will germinate soon when the nights get cold. Then they will remain green all Winter, that's a plus! A lot of other things will do that for you, too, like Myosotis (perennial Forget-me-not), Cynoglossum (annual FMN). Sounds like a good thread topic. I'll make a post.

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.

pippi, you'll be more successful at getting lots of answers if you post your own brand new question rather than piggy back on a post from 2005.

You are definitely thinking on the right track. The mulch is going to prevent light from getting to your seeds and they will refuse to germinate. If you pull the mulch back and seed, and then leave the mulch back, you should be in good shape.

Pippi, I agree with you. No need for fall mulching. Wait until Spring, or even until Summer, when things start to sprout to spread mulch again. Then you can see what you are mulching around.