I've successfully ws'd all of the seeds mentioned. The tricky one is the monkshood, it needs warm/cold/warm for germination and seeds need to be fresh. Sow this one after seeds ripen in late summer to germinate in the spring.

Ditto what vjhale said. The turtlehead especially was a nice surprise with how well it winter sowed, I have a big swath of it now for later season color. Downside is - mine sets seed so late I have to bag some of the pods or I lose the seeds to a coastal storm waiting for them to ripen.

Great tips folks!

I've winter sown Astilbes. Even though I have many plants in the gardens from sowing them every year for the last 5 years, I still did some this year. They can be done anytime.

Did Turtlehead too. Just got a couple of sprouts a few years back, but the plants are growing nicely and this year I should get more than a couple of blooms.

Lobelia Cardinals was done this year and I have many little plants which will be going in the gardens soon.

I'm going to try the tip on Monkshood (Aconitum). I have three varieties in the gardens and want more. This is a plant the deers won't even go near because it is so poisonous.

Another thing you might consider when sowing these is that when the summer weather starts to show, I always move mine to part or dappled shade and if they haven't sprouted by the day I move them, many start sprouting thereafter. It's like placing them in the environment they are most comfy with.

Great thanks. Now I'll have to get busy harvesting seeds so I'll have something to trade later. :-)

Over at osu.edu, that is Ohio State I think, it says "Hostas are extremely popular, hardy herbaceous perennials grown primarily for their beautiful foliage. They are easy to grow, shade-tolerant plants."

Yes, I love hostas. I have quite a few.