For your circumstance Brian, starting seeds outside is probably the best choice. It is not absolutely necessary to start them inside. Some of us do it because we've figured out all our obstacles and found solutions to them--which you will, too, over time. Then we try to 'push things' by starting them early so we get as much growth and as big a bulb as we can the first season. And by doing that we hope to shorten the time it takes to get that 'first flower' down the road--hopefully, the second and third year with some types.
Each of us seeders on here has thier own setup which is in one way or another, different from the other. Mike in California starts his directly in wooden box frames outside (which I absolutely admire because it mimacs nature), Connie uses the baggie method (the generally accepted way) has hers under lights inside till fall, then pots and chill cycles inside a cool porch area. And I start mine inside in a dark room in covered pots and baggies and then grow under lights until danger of frosts in past. Then its outside onto, around and under a large, oversize picnic table that sits under an old age flowering crab that has sprawling flat top that gives just the right amount of dapled shade. It's close to my deck for easy work/material access and the huge picnic table provides plenty of plant and work space and in the event of a bad storm (hail) or hot 100' days the pots, baggies in boxes, can be slid under this table into the cool grass for protection. So that table and tree combination solved a lot of my problems, especially my slug problem. And, I'm sure Anthony, Rick and Tracey have devised their own methods and means that work well for them, too.
So, starting seeds outside isn't a bad idea. If it works, that's great. And getting 25 to 50 % germination isn't all that bad either. Heck, I had a couple seed lots this last spring where I didn't get a single seed to sprout.--that happens. Sometimes, I only get two or three. Seeding is--what it is; you never know what to expect. And not all are going to look like Connies (the Green Thumb) either. Tetras tend to be very robust. And different seed lots produce plants with different growing rates, leaf sizes, etc, etc, etc. It can be all over the place. And the same goes for bulb development rate and so on.
I guess, the more you see, the more you learn as well. So, I'll try to put some pictures up later today of those I have just so you know what you've got probably isn't much different that what I have going.
