I got mine as little 4" pots in early spring, split them into 4ths, and popped them in the ground. They did quite well, spreading out nicely the first year. Since you are in a colder zone than me, I might wait until early spring to start them myself. Do you have a greenhouse? I don't, but it seems that often helps with the early spring seeds. I just have a sunny southern window for my feeble attempts at starting seeds.
