Knowing the origin of the plant helps. Tropical plants rarely (if ever) need any sort of a cold period to germinate, which is sometimes a method to coax an older seed to germinate. If the seed has a hard shell (which I believe PoB does), it doesn't hurt to nick and soak for 24 hours or so. Patience will serve you well too, as older seeds sometimes will take longer to germinate. Do your research (online or in books, or asking questions here was good too :), and they should tell you what the seeds like for germinating. If the seeds have a short shelf life, then there's not much you can do to make them germinate, except plant them and pray. Sometimes they will surprise you. I got one Corydalis lutea seedling from a bunch of two-year-old seeds, which is quite amazing for corydalis. The baggie method will give you the versatility to experiment a bit, like relocating to a light or dark place, giving it cold for a controlled period of time, or putting it on the fridge, etc., so it's probably the best method if you keep a close eye on it for fungal growth and such.

Thank you so so very much, Magus.
What did you mean by,'PoB'? Is that an abreveation for my favorite bush, or an other type of plant? Sorry, I didn't understand. Your advice is very much appreaciated!