winter sowing in mild climates

Hi, winter sowers. I have a lot of seeds that are suitable for winter sowing, but I'm not sure if winter sowing works in a mild climate. As I read the various threads, it seems as if many of you are in much colder climates than I am. I'm in zone 9b (Sunset zone 17), and we don't usually get hard freezes or snow. We get lots of winter rain and temps that usually don't go lower than about 35 or so. Can I still winter sow? And if so, should I have planted the seeds already or can I still plant them? (Or should I maybe wait a little longer?) I'm obviously baffled. :-)

Thanks for your help!

Hi Terracotta - here is a list from GW of successful zone 9 wintersowing...

Agastache Golden Jubilee
Alyssum - Carpet of Snow
Arugula (Roquette)
Balloon flower Mariesii
Bamboo Black p.Nigra
Basil
Bat-faced Heather
Birch River
Black Bamboo p.Nigra
Black eyed susan
Blackberry lily
Blackeyed Susan Vine
Blanket Flower
Butterfly Ginger
Campanula 'Isabella'
Canterberry bells
Canterbury Bells
Celosia 'Pink Flamingo Feathers'
Chives Common
Chives Garlic
Clarkia Elegans Apple Blossom
Clematis Virgin's bower
Cockscomb
Columbine
Coneflower purple
Coneflower white
Confederate Jasmine
Coral bells
Cosmos
Crepe Myrtle
Cyclamen
Daisy English
Daisy Gerbera
Daisy gloriosa
Daisy shasta
Datura Yellow Surprize
Delphinium (Pacific Giant)
Dwarf Fairy Bouquet
Evening primrose Pale
False Spiraea
Floss Flower
Foamflower
Forget-Me-Not rose
Forget-me-nots
Four o'Clock
Foxglove Strawberry
Foxgolve Foxy
Geranium Ballerina
Ginger Butterfly
Ginger Pinecone
Gloxinia
Godetia 'Azalea Flowered'
Great Blue Lobelia
Hollyhock
Ice Plant annual
Impatiens Balfours
Impatiens Balsam
Impatiens Golden Dawn
Jacob's Ladder
Jasmine Confederate
Lamb's Ears
Larkspur
Lettuce Dark Green Cos
Lettuce Grand Rapids Leaf
Lily blackberry
Linaria
Lobelia 'Hamburgia'
Mallow Zebrina
Maltese Cross Vesuvius
Marigold
Melampodium
Monarda Cambridge
Morning glory
Negami Kumquat
Nemesia (Bluebird)
Nemesia 'Snow Princess'
Nicotiana tabacum 'Rosea'
Orchid Green Fly
Parrot Feather
Passion Flower (Red)
Passion Flower (Red) (Home Depot Special)
Passionflower Banana
Penstemon (Huskers Red)
Penstemon (Mexican Red Rocks)
Pepper Thai
Petunia (wave)
Phlox (annual)
Pinecone Ginger
Poppy california
Poppy Oriental
Poppy Peony
Rain Lily
River Birch
Rockcress
Rose Don Juan
Sage Mealy-cup
Salvia Lady in Red
Shell Ginger
Snake Lily
Snapdragon
Snapdragon Creeping
Snapdragon Trailing
Stock 'Night Scented'
Stock 'Ten Week'
Sunflower Teddy Bear
Sweet William
Toad Lily
Tomato Arkansas Traveler
Tomato Gardener's Delight
Tomato Morgage Lifter
Tomato Yellow Brandywine
Tomato Yellow Pear
Twinspur Pink Queen
Verbina
Viola Johnny Jump-ups
Voodoo lily
Wahlenbergia 'Melton Bluebird'
Willow Weeping
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Zinnia

Thanks, Anitabryk2!

Luckily, that list includes many of the seeds I want to sow. :-)

I ventured over to that other site today, and found a lot of WS info, including the answers to my questions. In a nutshell, I can still WS now; I can also sow a number of plants in Spring and Summer! I'm so glad because this will really free up a lot of space indoors and the germination rate for WS is so high. Plus, it sounds like fun. Guess I know what I'll spend the next week doing....

I'd still love to hear from DG'ers in zones 8, 9, or 10 regarding their experiences in winter sowing (and Spring and Summer sowing, if they do that).

Hi terracotta,

I've been researching winter sowing in zone 10b. I was wondering how yours went this past year?