I noticed that no one answered your post alley, but I think it's because it would help if we knew what you think you sowed wrong.

You're in 7b so the Zone 7 posters should be able to help you.

Lets keep this toward the top so it doesnt disappear! I wish I could help with some advice,but I cant so I will help like this! :)

If you did sow something that should have been Spring sown, and you have germination, if a cold spell comes around, you could always give them a little more protection, aka blanket, unheated garage, etc.

I have a theory that seeds are pretty darn smart little guys.

If they've sprouted for you already, and are going through a few cycles of warm, then cold, they could benefit from you babying them a little with extra blankets, or shade cloths. They won't necessarily die, just because it's cold again. It just depends if they're hardy types.

If they were annuals (die every year) you should probably put them in the warmest part of your garden and blanket them at night.

I planted a lot of things like crazy in the Fall directly into the garden, in our mild 7 zone. They all put out green leaves (parsley, Chinese vegetables, greens ...)

Even though we've had a few light snows, I think these plants will be the first to re-emerge in the early Spring.

Still, I'm planning to wait until next month to start fast-growing greens and annuals.

Your seeds will sprout when they are ready. Sowing them early is usually ok. You'll likely get most of them to sprout and grow just fine.

I winter sowed all of my perennial and annual seeds in January the first year I started wintersowing. They were fine. I didn't have many melampodium sprouts, but they're tough to get going anyway. Last year, my scarlet runner beans didn't sprout, so I just sowed another batch. I think they got too soggy. Most seeds did well though.

You could give any early tender sprouts some extra protection if you get an unexpected cold spell.

The above is just what I would have given for advice - you did good - keep an eye on the tenders...

Carrie

It's normal to have a wave of sprouts and then a 'stall', and then along comes another wave, etc. You will also find that you will get sprouts and then those sprouts will seemingly stop to grow, and then when you get another little warm-up, they will put on another growth spurt, and then if the weather cools then they slow down again, etc.

One thing some of us have noticed is that when there is a little cold and the sprouts slow down in growth above the soil, they are then concentrating on the growth of the roots. As time goes on and you start transplanting you will find that the root system of your winter sown plants are really amazing for the 'above soil' size of the plant itself!

In regards to spring and summer sown seeds being sown in the winter, I wouldn't worry. In my first few years I would winter sow everything and I must say most seeds did sprout. Sometimes I was happy that somethings didn't sprout since I always had more than enough. I did learn that such things as Zinnias, Cosmos, Morning Glories and others will not survive a hard frost in my neck of the woods. So I start those later - late April/early May or sometimes later.

Winter sowing is something you learn as you go in terms of what seeds will make it when. I can assure you that most will do very well for you. You are in an enviable zone - at least I consider it as such. Have fun!

You are in zone 7b...you could start any seed you wanted, probably any time you wanted without any fear :)

I normally use the method of starting with my earliest bloomers and perennials and work my way down to warm summer stuff (zinnias). It works for me, but a lot of people sow their's alphabetically and get great results too :)

Lisa

Ok, here is what I have:

Red hot poker (just starting to sprout)
giant coneflower (several containers--no sprouts--started Jan 10th)
day lilly
yellow esperanza
gaillardia (also several containers--no signs)
tickseed-coreopsis (started to sprout)
butterfly bush-buddelia (or however it is spelled--sprouted a while ago, but slow growing)
foxglove--sprouting
columbine--no signs
shasta daisy--my first sprouts
chinese lanterns--starting to sprout
red flower yucca--nothing
lantana--nothing
canna lily--have 2 sprouts
balloon flower--have sprouts
rose of sharon--nothing
desert willow--tons of sprouts
larkspur--tons of sprouts
lupine--getting 2nd or 3rd leaf already
datura and double white datura--getting some sprouts
pomegranate--nothing
clerodendron--nothing
cleome--nothing
starting 2/18:
california poppy
marigold
columbine
alyssum
canterbury bells.

Some of the lasts I know shouldn't have sprouted, I just did them about a week ago.
My lupines (the first set) are my biggest and have the most leaves. I'm not generally worried about the seedlings not getting bigger as I know they are probably working on the roots as mentioned earlier (and my philosophy in gardening is: if it is green, it's not dead. Not dead is good. And, all the seedlings are green at the moment.) I have been taking the lids off them during the very warm (up to the high 60's, some 70's) day and putting the lid back on at night (where it gets to the 30 and 40's). I also have them in a container and next to the house in a little cove to hopefully shield them from the winds. For the past several years, we've had very warm February's (or is it februaries?) and then a cold march.
I was just wondering if I sowed some of the stuff too early. I have my sprouted's in one spot, so it should be easy to put a blanket over them if I need to.

Marigold will die from frost, but I wouldn't worry about them until they actually sprout.