I did find that the seeds could be fragile (they're paper thin and don't have much substance to them), so you have to be careful with them. I generally cracked open the seed pods and collected the seeds in a small container, then "sprinkled" them into the pots.
Spring would be the best time to start them, as when I tried in Autumn it simply wasn't warm enough (and hence why most germinated once I brought them inside and they warmed up a bit).
