East is good but not on the porch if it's covered. They need to be out where they can get snowed & rained on. West/full sun isn't good since the temp inside the containers can get very hot, very fast and fry your sprouts. My containers are on my east-facing breezeway where they get mostly shade until May-June. By then I'm starting to open the containers so the seedlings can soak up some sun.

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Thanks for your advise -- the porch isn't covered -- so that's where I'll put them. The porch will look like your breezeway (with all the mike containers) shortly!I have 30+ that I've saved plus 10 I got for .50 from a local deli that got them in by mistake.

Hi CO, my WS containers are on the east side of the house - which conveniently is the back side - and they get morning sun only. I think this is the best position for perennials - as they get a few hours of weaker sun, and aren't as likely to sprout too early or get overheated as they would with sun from a westerly direction.

WS containers are somewhat unsightly, especially when you start opening them, transplanting baby seedlings, and throwing containers and flats around. But if that's not a problem for your property, i.e. you don't have to conform to the rules of a HOA or your neighbors don't care, then it sounds like your porch is the best place.

Btw, I hang dry all my laundry and haven't used the dryer in over 2 years. Some of my laundry gets hung over the railings on the front porch because it's sunny in the mid-late afternoon! I couldn't tolerate an HOA - nobody is going to tell me I can't hang laundry, however the ugly laundry is hopefully balanced out by the beauty of the front gardens.

I live in sunny and hot New Mexico and my winter sown containers go on my east facing covered porch, but at the edge where they get several hours of sun early in the day but are in the shade in the afternoon. Otherwise I am worried they would fry. I also hang laundry on that same porch. My neighbor hangs her laundry which is why I started hanging mine - and she has gotten lots of plants from me so understands the "mess" on my porch. We are lucky to live in a rural area so hanging laundry doesn't offend anyone. The only rule in my neighborhood is that the weeds are supposed to be maintained at less than a foot tall.

thanks everyone for the suggestions. I live in Old Town Ft Collins -- so really anything goes here and I have great neighbors. I plan on sharing my seedlings with them! No HOA (couldn't stand living with one -- too many rules and crazies just waitng for you to break one!) Plus, my porch is raised from the stret/sidewalk by a bunch of steps- so other than the mailman, I doubt anyone will even notice them. FYI - I have an old fashioned laundry pole in the backyard - and dry most of my laundry in the sun.