Caroline, still got so many weeks of (possible) chill?
I am quite sure our cold days are over.
Really nice and warm weather. But rather DRY. Some rain is desperately needed!

We can have frost right through to end of May and occasionally into June!
We then have the possibility of 6 or 8 weeks of what Dr. Deno suggested
as minus 4 ºC to plus 4ºC for oscillating temperatures.
The temperature swings are greater than that, but some perennials and alpines need that.

Just about time for me to check daily...had three more varieties sprout today. Seeds that are started indoors are fun, too, but oh, the anticipation and the pleasant surprise each time a long-awaited sprout appears is the best!

I always get a bigger kick out of wintersown sprouts. After they're been out there in the cold and snow and darkness... it always strikes me as proof that spring is indeed popping.

Karen

I checked again yesterday. I still have nothing.
I've moved the box that contains the containers sown into the sunlight with hopes they would germinate.

zip, nadda, nothing. yet. I know a few of the gallon jugs were gaillardia - but without looking for my notes, I can not recall what was sown.

I have 2 weeks before I head to WI for about a week ... so they'd better do something quickly.

Last yer I WS one jug of echinacea and and one rudbeckia and it worked! Then this year I did more but thought they all were a bust. Only one jug sprouted. So I put some jugs aside in shade then, ta da! Two more sprouted! Then another and another, now only the rudbeckia and Americam beautyberry didn't sprout. Some say ruds are easy but for me it's always a challenge. And the Beautyberry probably takes more than a year.
It's so rewarding!
BTW someoneasked about mimulus; I started 6 pack indoors in Feb because it doesn't need cold to germinate. It grew so fast with great germination so I had blooms on the seedlings under lights. Transplanted outdoors in shady, damp area a few days ago and it's still sitting there, seeing how it likes its new home. In my zone I've heard mimulus peters out in the heat so I needed to get it outside early.
Anyone have suggestions for next year for WSing my rudbeckia?

I'm in a much colder climate but rudbeckia hirta are generally easy for me. Several times they have been my first WSown sprouts. I just sprinkle them on the soil surface. But this year has been so cold, I saw my first rud sprouts yesterday, and just a few. Also a few sprouts each of alyssum and zinnia.

Karen

on the 10th of April, i saw my first sprouts.

we have had some nice weather, but going back into the 40's for next week.... this just isn't fair.

What do you have up, Terese?

I found sprouts of your Penstemon strictus today... ...along with six others! I'm nervous about leaving these guys outdoors Monday through Wednesday, but they'll probably be okay. I'll cover their bin with blankets and hope for the best.

Much the same weather here. It was 79° today, but supposed to have lows in the 30s next week.

I've got a few more WSown sprouts, too- one agastache sprout, a few petunias, a few rud hirtas...

I have a lot of plants living on my deck full time. I don't know what I'll do with all of it on those cold nights.

Karen

Cover them---cardboard boxes, sheets, towels, newspapers, quilts, anything.
It does not take much to stave off a degree or two of frost.
Thin plastics are not as great as heavy paper bags etc., but plastic pails and bins will stave off light frost.
Also water plants well the night before.
Jugs of water placed near plants, and covered with plants, will act as a heat sink and protect through light frost.

Some of them will have to come into the house or garage. Temps are supposed to go into the 20s and things like coleus won't take kindly to that. The coleus are ones that I started from cuttings in fall and overwintered inside under lights. When they got too tall to fit under the lights, I kicked them outside.

Karen

Oh,--- for sure--- coleus won't take any frost.
I know the problem of juggling all the seedlings along with surprises in the weather.

Yes, the coleus were indoor plants all winter, and they'll have to come inside for the 3 nights, back out during the day. Years ago I bought a plastic tablecloth -pretty big- just for that purpose. I'll put the tablecloth on the floor and put plants on it. My seed-started begonias are still living inside on my light shelves (they barely fit) and have only been out to the deck for short field trips to start to harden off. A few coleus are still there. I chop off the tops when they hit the lights. I also have a few 6 packs of seedlings under lights.

I didn't do much wintersowing this year, only about 12 jugs. Of those that have sprouts, I'll probably move them into my mini greenhouse and I think they'll be OK. Ditto my corydalis sempervirens and echinacea which have been living outside for a few weeks. They should be hardy enough to tolerate the cold snap. (33° tonight, 28° tomorrow night, 36° the next night). A freeze warning has been issued.

Or, I could move all the plants into the garage and park my car outside. Wouldn't be the first time.

Karen

Of those winter sown seeds that have already sprouted, I potted up a few of each to bring in...just in case. We're to drop down to 25 degrees for two nights, and I'm thinking that might be just a bit too long of a cold spell for some of them.

See my tale of woe in the "Who has tomatoes" thread. Darn this weather!! I feel everyone's pain.

It snowed again Roads are clear but grassy surfaces and my deck are white.

Karen

Here, too, Karen.

It looks like it's going to get even colder than they'd predicted earlier as well; down to around (for us) 22 tomorrow morning.

Funny thing about this winter that we'd never seen before; our gravel drive froze so very hard that it's thawing in layers. When you walk on it, it feels like there are air pillows beneath it. Not quite permafrost, but maybe similar to what those folks that do have it experience?

I get my best Fritillaria sp. germination after an early spring snow.