Jenny
check out winter sowing forum FAQ, easy way to get rid of your winter blues ;)
growing plants indoor will take some effort and money- no matter how easy your set up is, also watering and damp off could be an issue. Having said that I have my set up up and running and presently growing bunch of plants. I am in zone 5 so my timing is calculated for my zone. Majority perennials won't bloom first year so you can start them anytime but realize that once your plants start growing they will need more space and light, I have been known to run out of space by mid Feb ;)
Lots of annuals will start blooming in 10-12 weeks, some will take as long as 20-24 weeks to bloom- those are usually more expensive annuals/ tender perennials sold in stores.
Reseach plants you want to start, time accordingly. Lets say you want pansy. Time to flower from seed mostly 12 weeks. Give or take 1-2 weeks for germination calculate when you need to start it considering that while it will take some cold weather it needs some warmth to be put outside- so know your frost date, pansy will go out for me 1,5 months prior to my last frost which is May 15. I plant them in containers so in case of severe weather I could bring it in.
Snapdragon- 16-18 weeks to bloom, likes cool weather.
Impatiens-7-8 weeks.
linaria 9-10 cool weather
etc....
if you want to grow vine- consider that it quickly becomes tall and start twining so will need a support to do so.

Much of my seed starting begins in January with the more challenging and longer-germinating seeds. It really depends upon which seed you are interested in starting. You may get frustrated in sowing annuals indoors so early, even if they bloom because they will quickly outgrow their tiny pots and will need more space. You also have to watch out for insects and disease with growing/crowding seedlings. Vines and tall plants might drive you nuts if started too early. I tend to start early perennials like potentilla, lavender, ferns (from spores), penstemon, butterfly weed, as some of these need a brief cold period first. I also try sowing tropicals early on. Some annuals for early sowing are ivy geranium vine, salvia, dusty miller, petuna, lobelia (loved the cobalt blue flowering inside!). You can also try propagating dormant cuttings and forcing bulbs to bloom. A good winter blues activity is to order seed catalogs (search google catalogs) and plan your upcoming garden, as you'll have plenty of information and seed choices from those catalogs.

Hi Jenny! Don't forget to check out the winter sowing forum right here on Gardenweb. It sounds like it might be just the thing you are looking for...and no grow lights are needed;)

Michelle