Maybe this will help -

Here is a link that might be useful: Thompson/Morgan Germination Database

I don't know much about zone 10 gardening, but check out winter sowing on the Winter Sowing Forum. Naturally, the winter isn't going to apply to you, but the summer sowing technique is probably right up your alley. It's easy and requires little to no equipment. Consider posting over there and perhaps we can all coach you through your first experience. I could not grow from seed until I tried winter sowing and now I can grow basically everything. I just summer sowed asclepias this afternoon.

Tell em Bakemom sent you.

You can buy seed starter mix in gardening stores. I find it pretty easy to sprout any type of seeds. Use solo cups and make hole in the bottom for drainage. Fill the cups with starter mix and put some seeds and spray with water and keep the soil moist. You will see the sprouts emerging in a week or two depending on the seeds. Good Luck!

you make it sound so easy!
my seeds always get tall and leggy, then fall over and die...if i dont put seeds under dome, and just put in flats and mist...will they grow without the humidity?
i have lights over plants, will this work?
suzanne

I golf with a man who supplies the city of winnipeg(he owns several greenhouses) with some of there annuals. I have been trying to grow my plants from seed in my basement, with growing lights, heating cables. etc He said basically" forget it" He said that 99% of sucess of growing your own planys from seed are 1: NATURAL LIGHT -SUN 2; JUST AS IMP. AS NO.1- FRESH AIR; he said that plants (seedlings) HAVE) TO HAVE FRESH AIR. GROWING IN UR BASE MENT WITH STALE AIR , U ARE DOOMED!