Natalie, while I'm in danger or sounding like a commercial, one way to jump in head (or feet) first is to get a packet of Park's Hens & Chicks rare varieties mixed. You'll get a total cross section...
And there is still time to plant them; they don't need to be chilled -- just sprinkle them very sparsely on top of any seed-starting mix, put them on a heating pad and they will be up in no time!
If you want to try sprinkling them on the ground outdoors in your climate I suppose you could, but they are very, very tiny at the beginning (a jeweler's loupe helps) and they should probably be a bit larger before they get put in the ground. Although Lynn can give you better guidance there -- she has obviously started all kinds of seeds in a climate probably closer to yours....
