If they were growing wild they would be prime candidates for Winter sowing. This GW Forum will tell you how (check the FAQ and post a question if you need to after that.)

Welcome Harry,

If you don't know the botanical name of the plants, it's tough to say if they need what's called "cold stratification"( i.e., winter temps) in order to germinate. There's a really cool website called the Clothier's Database (named for Tom Clothier) that lists plants by botanical (i.e., Latin/species) name and gives specific germination information. If you aren't sure of the botanical name, post the common name and folks will help you check the botanical name.

Generally, there are no silly questions when it comes to growing from seed. Some plants grow enthusiastically from seed; others don't. There's a Lobelia syphilitica/great blue lobelia growing & blooming up through a crack in my breezeway concrete this year. I didn't plant it but I welcome it because it's a nectar plant for butterflies. Aquilegia/columbine is growing up here and there where I never planted it as is black-eyed Susan. I let them grow where they come up because I want to sustain bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

I let things mature on the stems and don't harvest seeds until much later in the year. You're a lot farther south than I am in southern New England so seeds/seed-heads won't mature until later in the year where I am.

FYI - Here's germination spec's for Echinacea/coneflower:

Echinacea pallida, and purpurea , Sow at 20ºC (68ºF), if no germination in 3-4 wks, move to -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 2-4 wks

Echinacea angustifolia, paradoxa, and tennesseensis , Sow at 18-22ºC (64-71ºF) for 2-4 wks, move to 4ºC (40ºF) for 9 wks, move to 10ºC (50ºF) for germination

BTW - check out the Winter Sowing forum so you can grow your garden from seed naturally without chemicals.

Rule One: relax. Seeds know what to do & when to do it so you don't have to.

Thanks for the welcome Gardenweed. I figured my question might be difficult to answer without knowing the specific names of the plants I collected from. By the way, re my location, I'm in S.W. Canada (latitude 49 deg.) just a few miles north of the U.S border so I think you are about 500 to 600 miles farther south if my geography serves me correctly.

Harry

harry757 - happy to help. You might be able to pin down your garden zone by typing your postal code in on Google. I'm USDA Z6a.

"I figured my question might be difficult to answer without knowing the specific names of the plants I collected from."

Look around you and consider: what's God's favorite color? Seeds generally have their way with minimal help from humans. Knowing/learning the names is fun if it catches your interest. Check out a book titled 'Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots' by Sharon Lovejoy. It's a pretty basic intro for new gardeners and it got me revved after reading it.

As they say, the rest is a garden.