I am a big fan of growing these annual Poppies. I grow the pink Peony type, which will germinate in Spring so freezing and thawing wont be a problem to young seedlings. I think your problem is trying to Winter over the seedlings in situ, which just isnt feasible in your situation due to the problem you describe. Surface sow in January for March germination and it should work out fine. I have compared and done both and found that I got flowers only about a week earlier with the Wintered seedlings. At this writing, I have just a couple of seedlings that have decided to come up on their own at this time. While they are welcome, I wont count on them. I will sow in January.

Mirabilis makes a big fleshy root so I wouldn't worry about a little root damage, they would probably recover.

Another trick may be to run out and soak the bed before a hard frost is predicted - or to water it the following morning, hoping the extra wawa would flatten out any heaving soil.

brenda, do you mean the perennial orientals or the annual types? the annual types are easy, and i've had no issues wintering them over- they seem to like the cold. the perennials will develop a deep root eventually and i 've never heard of getting flowers the first season with them. i've tried them every which way but loose- seedlings-winter and directly sown, plants, bareroots, etc, and have yet to have much success with them. but flanders, shirleys, california and breadbox/opiums all do really well here. i'd follow quirk's advice and sow in jan/feb. they say they particularly like it if you sow them on top of a light snow- you can see the seeds, they get chilled and soaked, and as the snow melts it draws the seeds into little soil pockets. mine reseed like crazy, and they germinate here in about a month or two. tammy

I've had no problem winter sowing poppies and planting them out. Last year I planted my winter sown seedlings of California poppies at the beginning of February, and they were wonderful. I do admit, though, that using the "hunk o'seedlings" method destroys some of the tiny seedlings. I've been thinking of winter sowing in cell packs this year to avoid some of the horticide--

I'd love to learn how to disguise the foliage, especially that of the lovely breadseed poppies, as I wait for seeds to mature.