Thanks for your responses, chelle and Elaine.
Six to seven weeks sounds fairly quick - that's good to know. I'm in the SF Bay Area, but in the south part, so I'm actually just south of San Jose; we are warmer than SF. So it sounds like I should be able to get bloom before fall, if I don't botch the seed starting. And it sounds like I may have a chance of overwintering.
As for the color on 'Punch Bowl', I'm dismayed and disappointed that yours (Elaine's) seemed similar in color to the "regular" ones. This variety was advertised as producing pinks and lavenders, and that is what I am looking for. Perhaps somehow your seeds got contaminated (either by cross pollination, or someone messed up in the collection and packaging)?
As for the pale yellow flowered seedlings (I had read on someone's blog that they also had a pale yellow seedling or two from this variety), those could be interesting. They aren't what I am hoping for, but on the other hand, maybe I could find a few spots for them.
I have to go out of town in a few weeks, so I won't start the seeds until after I return. If I get any to bloom, I'll try to remember to report back on what I actually got.
