Hi Marg,
I always stratify mine as I store them in the fridge. I thought it was required, but was corrected in another post. I think the answer was "it depends on the cultivar".

I soak the seeds overnight and nick them (scarification) before planting. I use bottom heat and put them under lights - cheap lights - they'll prevent them from getting leggy. They can take a while to germinate (21 days or so). Also, for me, they seem to start out slow, so you'll probably want to get them started earlier than other seeds (March-ish).

I haven't really paid attention to when I would see first flowers, but I'd say end of June or so in your zone. I usually plant a six inch seedling and it grows to a couple feet by then. After that, they really take off, growing larger and putting out fair amount of blooms. I've grown them in pots, but they were never as robust as the ones in ground.

I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Gail

Thanks for the tips Gail. Can't wait to see my first blooms! Marg