Dear Dreamywhite

Hi. Welcome to the Cottage garden website. For fast results next spring I'd suggest that you consider fall sowing of some hardy annuals. Larkspur, annual poppy (bread seed poppy, esp.) Larkspur will come up this fall but most of it should survive fine. Money plant (lunaria annua) is another good choice though seed sown this fall may not bloom until 2014. An advantage of these flowers I've mentioned is that they are rather "airy" and fit in between more substantial plants and their seedlings are easily pulled up if they come in the "wrong" place.

Mostly I would suggest that you go to the Winter Sowing forum on gardenweb. These gardeners use a method that is much easier than indoor seedlings. Seeds are planted in late Dec. through Feb.(perhaps Jan. through March in Wisc.)
Recycled containers are used--gallon milk jugs and 2 liter bottles. Potting soil is used for the medium and the containers are ventilated by poking holes. The containers are watered and then placed outside!! Snow, ice, cold rain are not problems. If they can be placed where they have some protection from heavy winds that is helpful.

This method works well for Perennials, Biennials, and annuals. Some of the things that Winter Sowers have done successfully are coneflowers, rudbeckia, foxglove,baptisia,
lupins. Any plants that benefit by stratification (alternate cold and warm phases during germination) do especially well.

Advantages: Seeds more protected than in open ground. Seeds will germinate at their own time, depending on the weather of the particular year. Seedlings do not require
conditioning since they've been outside for their whole lives. Seedlings seem to be especially sturdy.

Disadvantages: Cautions, might be better. Early spring
is the danger time, especially if there is unseasonably warm spell. Containers need to be opened to air when it gets warm. This is the only time that the sower needs to water the plants.

Check out the Winter Sowing forum and also check out Trudi's
Website at Wintersowing.org.

This gardener who has been working in the same place since
1977 has a bit of envy for your blank slate.

Chris

I agree with Chris' suggestion. use a combination of reseeding annuals and do wintersowing for perennials. In fact, perennials will not bloom in the same year they germinate so in the meantime, use annuals to fill in spaces.

or if you wish to get a better (cheap)head start, try your hand at growing new plants out of cuttings. I have done this with stems of lavenders, boxwoods, hydrangeas. you can also do this with corral bells, sedum autumn joy.