Hello.

Not an expert...just my 2 cents...throwing seeds down does not work well!! Not for natives. You could try wintersowing some seeds and planting the seedlings the following year.

Good luck!

When to plant is based on how cold is your winter, and do the seeds need cold stratification? Annuals are easier as most respond to soil temperature and moisture. Perennials can require both cold stratification, proper soil temperature, and sometimes scarification. In the wild seeds can lie dormant until just the right conditions come along. Do a search on each species you want to plant. Here is a LINK to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for a list of shade-loving plants for Minnesota.

Even shade-lovers need some sun. Heavy shade is only suitable for ferns and moss. Flowering plants may grow but will flower poorly, if at all. Either remove some trees or cut lower limbs to allow more sun to penetrate as dappled shade.

For seeds to do well requires some ground preparation. Good contact with the soil is necessary, so you need to rake up any leaves, and move them to a compost pile. You can return them as mulch the next year. Use a rigid-tine garden rake (aka bow rake) to scratch and break the soil surface before sowing. It never hurts to mix in well-rotted compost if you are going to till. Mix seed with coarse sand so it's easier to sow, then sow the mixture over the soil surface. Caution: play sand often has an additive that inhibits growth, so make sure you use clean sand. Then lay a piece of cardboard over the seed bed and walk on it to press the seed into the soil. Remove the cardboard after this. Water well, then keep the seedbed moist for at least two weeks. I have found rain to be much better for germination than using treated water. Here is a LINK detailing how and when to plant.

Finally, there are no foolproof, throw-and-grow seeds. Even if your seeds don't sprout as you expected, don't give up. I have planted perennial seeds that took a year and a half to two years to germinate. Even annual seeds can need specific soil temperatures to germinate.