How about cosmos? Lacy, fairly tall, self-seeding (to some extent) and very pretty. One point, 'tho...... is it just me, or is the germination rate of purchased seeds
much poorer than it used to be?

Yes, cosmos would be great. Also alyssum, bachelor's buttons, calendula, nemophila, snapdragons, poached egg flower, and probably many more. I like to direct seed because it saves labor. You could also tuck a few six-packs in there.

If you mulch well, there shouldn't be weeds. I would direct seed in the manure top dressing you have there already, scatter the seeds, thin them after germination, and then mulch again once they are off and going.

What about poppies? I've always had good luck with them - both the CA kind and the Flanders-type.

Love in a mist reseeds here very prolifically, almost a weed.....

Sunflowers, too.

The easiest one I've found is Nasturtiums. The seeds are large and germinate well, there is a variety of colors and size of plants, and even ones with variegated or dark leaves. They put on a great display and are even edible. Seeding Money plant, Lunaria in the fall would give you flowers next spring.

I had really good luck with Cerinthe. It reseeds all over the place, but the extras are easy to pull out and get rid of. It has very interesting dangling purple flowers with gray-green foliage.

Cosmos and Nasturtiums, definitely. BUT, Cosmos and Nasturtiums do best and will thrive in *poor* soil. Leave them alone in poor soil and barely water them - water rarely and only if they begin to wilt. If you mistreat them like this these two plants will bloom their a**es off until frost.

Another plant that grows supremely fast from seed is our native Clarkia: http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/annuals/clarkia.html

Gorgeous flower, Clarkia will also thrive in poorer soils.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elegant Double Clarkia

I would like to add that California Poppies reseed like mad for me. Bloom time here for those beauties can go from May to September/October.

AGAIN, these will only do best in *poor* soil, and like Cosmos, prefer not to be watered.

If I were you, I would remove all the manure-dressed soil you say that you added before planting any of the seeds I've mentioned, because the plants will perform very poorly in your fertile soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: California Poppies

I would vote for Cerinthe as well, especially if something low growing and yellow was in front/near by. Mainly because in my yard they reseed so well and so gently, and then attract hummingbirds (Anna's here in Seattle) better than just about anything.

Thanks for the info about Ceranthe. I've seen this growing in other's gardens and it is lovely, and very interesting. Does anyone know if it is deerproof or deerfood?
I'm going to pop in some poppy seeds -- I love them and I know they grow well here and the deer leave them alone mostly. Unfortunately, nastursium is a deer favourite. Don't worry about the fertility of my soil. I've got lots of REALLY poor soil and not all of it got top dressed. I don't know about Clarkia and deer. HOwever, for the few dollars seeds cost I don't mind trying flowers that might work. I've grown Nigella and it is super. Maybe, this area will finally have lots of colour! Thanks all for the suggestions, I truly appreciate them.

Ceranthe sounds nice to me as well. I haven't noticed seeds for sale before. Do they tend to be readily available at nurseries (I live north of Seattle)?

Cerinthe is allegedly deer proof, but they eat it here in Berkeley, Calif., especially the young new seedlings. You may get by with it if you seed it amongst things that they don't like, and wait to plant this later after you have other seedlings up and running which would help disguise it. Oddly enough, they seem to leave it alone here once it has started flowering...

I am so bad with seeds that even though I planted four Cerinthe last year from pots I only have two seedlings coming up.

I direct seeded (more than once) godetia, cosmos, larkspur, and some cool pink thing they use in bouquets at farmer's markets (can't remember the name) and they have not come up.

I am just terrible with seeds.