Maybe I should put this on the perennial forum?

seeds can be spread.. when the plant spreads them naturally ...

its when you interfere.. by collecting them.. that problems start ...

mark the spot you put them in.. so it can be left undisturbed until next spring ... no weeding.. no mulch.. no nothing.. and .. as the flower itself does.. you simply spread them on top of the soil ...

ken

While they will often self-sow, at times with abandon, if you are having trouble getting them to germinate for you, it may be that the fine seeds are getting lost in uneven ground and end up too deep. If that is the case, they sit there and wait until they are exposed, or until they rot.

You may want to do a little bed preparation by turning or tilling, amending if necessary with compost/peat/sand, etc., and breaking up all of the soil, removing the debris, and raking it down to a very smooth, even bed. Then tamp, roll, or otherwise compact it down a bit so it doesn't settle and bury the seeds again, topdress with about an inch of loose rich fine soil, rake that smooth, sow, and then lightly dust with maybe 1/4 inch of more soil. Keep it watered until seedlings emerge, which could be a few days to a few weeks.

You can do this any time with the perennial forms. If you are in Zone 5, I would wait until about mid to late August for the annual/biennial types like Shirley, Peony, or Breadseed.

I know it sounds like a bit of work, and it could be depending upon what size bed you want, but I have used this technique with great success after having bad luck getting Shirley and Peony type poppies to germinate.