LOL* I totally just asked basically the same question at the same time, in the same zone! LOL*

I got my first sprout today and it is also a hollyhock!!! Lol*

What annuals are you hoping to sow? Is this your first year or are you a pro? (My first year ws'ing.)

QM - a newbie this year! It's all new and exciting. I've got a TON of annuals from WS'ers and help populate my bee sanctuary. I want to sow
african daisy
coreopsis
moonflower vine
nicotia
scabiosa
nasturtium
sunflower
stock
salvia
millet
broom corn
amaranth
strawflowers
CA poppies
mallow
hyssop
castor bean
8-9 varieties of zinnias
and on and on and on.... LOL

I need more jugs! I need more dappled shade! LOL
Are you having as much fun with this as I am? Do you have a lot of perennials in jugs? Do check them a lot (I do...I keep hoping to sneak up on something new.. ;-))
Kris

coreopsis- some sprouted already
nicotia- did recently
scabiosa- some sprouted already
nasturtium- am going to do soon
sunflower- started a few
stock- sprouting all over
salvia- some sprouts
strawflowers- did recently
CA poppies- sprouting all over
mallow-I think is good
hyssop-I did some of this earlier

I think all these should be ok now.
zinnia's and morning glories are frost tender, so should wait a bit more.

If I was nervous I saved some seed for later too.

Thanks, Flood - do you keep your jugs in shade? sun? dappled? partial sun (like full sun a.m. then shade for afternoon)? Good idea to save some to 'oversow' later if need be. We're supposed to get down to 25 this weekend... Maybe I'll wait for Saturday to start. I can start cutting jugs in the meantime... :-D
Kris

The temps won't hurt the seeds, only tender annual sprouts.
I would hold off a week on zins, marigolds and vines. Otherwise, sow away. There is no "schedule" for annuals.

Woohoo! Thanks, bakemom!

C'mon, quilt mommy. Let's get planting! :-D
Kris

Although Farmer's almanac recommends waiting another week to sow more seeds, I'll be doing my zinnias and other tender annuals this weekend. I can always toss them in the cold frame it if gets chilly again. No freezing temps in the 10 day forecast. That was my rule.

Token - since you are 2 zones warmer than me, are you reading the Almanac for YOUR zone? When is YOUR last frost?
Kris

Farmer's almanac planting guide is based on the phases of the moon. It specifies that you plant what the weather allows when it comes to seeds, etc.

Our last frost date is usually April 15. The 10 day forecast gets me halfway there. I won't plant out until my taxes are done.

Kiddo, Most of my containers get dappled shade, some direct around noon. Other than that I have some that only get morning sun and a few that get sun till around 2pm. The poppies get sun but I take the top off since I have a bin of those. I've been venting some of the others on warm days. Mostly if I stick my finger in the hole and it seems really warm I may add more holes or vent.
Do you have calendula? Mine are sprouting and I am really excited.

oh wow! major sowing going on. I will also sow everything left in my seed treasure this week.

we may still get some frosts but most probably nothing below 30 would happen. i will also keep some seeds for plan B.

I have several containers of annuals up and lows of 27 or so in the next two days. Who cares? The annuals who would care haven't spouted.

Flood - no, I do not have calendula but I have so many others I do not miss them. After all, if I sow ALL THESE SEEDS I have THIS year...what will I have left to plant next year? LOL

Daisy, I'm definitely going for Plan B. I'm a newbie and will need a safety net, a backup - at least this year until I see what all the sprouting is about. :-D

As for you, Token in your Zone 7 with April last frost... grrrr (juuust kidding - I sure wouldn't want what you get for summer temps!)

QM - I'm going to cover my 2 sprouts tonight since it's going down to 25 -- poor babies, they have no siblings to cuddle up to. LOL

Kris

Kiddo - Yes, I am having so much fun also! I am even more motivated now that I've got a sprout! LOL* It looks like you are going to have an awesome garden this year - I hope you plan to share pictures with us. :) I do check mine a lot, maybe twice a day at the most. Morning and night. Especially now it's getting warm and the plant action is really starting to kick up out in the yard.

This is what I have sown so far:

pumpkins (did a few today)
echinacea
rudbeckia
zinnias
impatiens
delphiniums
shasta daisies
painted daisies
aubrieta
phlox
canterbury bells
multi-colored hollyhocks
purple hollyhocks
lavendar

I have some seeds that I forgot about that I still have to get out, but I ran out of jugs! I am going to buy some lasagna tins tomorrow so I can get out these:

more pumpkin seeds
sunflowers
larkspur
calendula
sweet peas
pansies
nastartium
more daisies
more zinnias
more impatiens

QM - oh, larkspur! Thanks for reminding me, I must get some larkspur. I did find blue flax when I was out today. I've tried to start impatiens before but always seem to fail miserably, I hope yours sprout well for you.

As I plant these WS'd flowers out, you'll see me flood my blog with LOTS of pics. I'm already scoping out a new bed which I wasn't planning on developing until Spring 2010, but for some reason I'm going to have to deal with a lot of new plants this spring!!
Kris

LOL* Yes I wasn't thinking when I put out the pumpkins/zinnias/impatiens...I'm new don't forget! Lol* But I figured I already did the damage so I might as just wait and see if they live or not. Everything else is pretty hardy. Today I put out:

foxgloves
more shasta daisies
snapdragons

I hope it wasn't too early, but what the heck, it's all an experiment. Lol*

I stopped over to your blog and it is AWESOME!

Hey, thanks for cruising by the blog. :-D Yours ain't shabby either!
Today I put herbs into jugs: dill, lemon basil, lime basil, bronze fennel, green fennel and Italian parsley. Going down to 25 tonight so will not put the jugs outside until tomorrow. Just couldn't wait to plant though.

Get them out there. You don't want to risk germination starting indoors overnight. Some of those basils are quick to sprout.

That Token, really pushy.....;-D But never thought of that...OK, out they go (poor babies).

I'm a zone colder but I started to ws my annuals last weekend. They won't sprout until it's time :)

I did my annuals a few weeks earlier last year too. We still have many weeks of freezing temps and likely snow ahead of us yet in my zone. But I'm not worried :) I had great sprouting successes last year with my annuals.

That is good to hear, I have a lot of those to go and worry.
I need to put more basil outside I think. Finish the sunflowers too. Also the fennel, hmm too bad I'll be helping with a baby shower all tomorrow. At least I'm in charge of games.

dirtbert - that makes me feel a lot better too. I have lots of annuals to get going with yet but I plan to do them this week. Just waiting from friends and family on more jugs! I broke down and bought some lasagna tins yesterday but that gets pricey!

But I'm not worried :) I had great sprouting successes last year with my annuals.

dirtbert - I'm really looking forward to sprouts. Like a lot of newbie's I think we're going on faith here this year (LOL). Having the 'knowing' not just the 'believing' will certainly make next year's WS season a lot less 'angsting'. ;-D

qm - I got lasagna pans at a dollar store 2/$ (no lids but cling wrap w/holes work fine). I'm going to sow most of my annuals in them, though probably will compartmentalize them into 2). Hope you snare some containers soon.

A laugh: I went to Sam's Club the other day to buy some ground turkey. My Mom says "Wow, look at that!" I said "Wow, yeah!" She was ticked that the price had gone up. I was elated that the turkey now came in a square plastic 2.5" deep container instead of on a styrofoam tray! Look what you guys are doing to my poor brain...!! :-P

Kris