How warm is it in your area? Hosta may germinate best at approx. 70F, too much warmer and germination could be delayed. If you can sow at around 70F and don't find germination in three or 4 weeks, putting your seed pots into the refrigerator for a moist chill of even a couple of weeks may encourage them to germinate when brought back to warm. You are probably looking at early July minimum for seedlings. That could be early enough for seedlings planted in the fall and mulched for winter - or do you have a cold frame where you could semi-protect them this winter?

I know of nothing that will act as a border and stop ivy. It will go over, up, and through anything. Keeping it cut back may be your best course of action. We removed 95% of the ivy here when we bought the property. It still comes over and under the fence from next door on one side, but cutting it about twice a year is keeping it under control.

I did leave one circle of ivy around the base of a tree at the top of our drive, after cutting it out of the tree and not allowing it to climb. The deer trim it back severely every winter and spring and its stayed somewhat well behaved the last three years in a dry, sloped spot.

It's not going to be 70 degrees here consistently until the fall, so it would seem I'm probably going to have to wait until next year, although I may try to get a few started in a basement window.