Mary, Alyssum saxatile (aka aurinia saxatillis), Germinates in approximately two weeks at around 70F. You could sow them now if not too warm where you are, its certainly not too warm here :). While they don't need the chill, they will winter sow too. So you may have to consider if young plants germinating end of June or early July would winter for you in your Z5, or if protecting them might take too much attention where you'd rather have the seedlings next Spring.

Thanks so much for the info. I think I had best wait to sow them. I will plan to winter sow them and plant out in early spring. Winters can be very harsh here. Thanks again for you response.

My question to you: what is mother nature doing right now? The seeds have been released and are self sowing right now in nature. There's nothing wrong with sowing 1/2 of them right now and half winter sowing. If you run out of seeds, watch for the Newbie Seed Project. I have some every year and a nice personal stash from my own plants.

My dianthus went to seed two weeks ago. I harvested the seed and late spring sowed them. They are all up and growing. I will wait until either fall, or a good cool rain spell to plant them out.

Think of yourself as mother nature's assistant.

Alyssum Basket of Gold is SUCH a great plant - love it on the edges of my beds. Really, if some of you don't have this one, it's so worth getting seeds for (lovely foliage, compact/neat growth habits, I could go on and on) I harvested some seed last weekend and plopped those seeds right into a container to (hopefully)sprout and grow this summer.

Nan..do they spread as much as Carpet of Snow alyssum? I have always wanted to try them. Because of lack of rain, my WS Alyssum didn't do that well this year. What does so well was WS in 2010 and left in place over the very mild winter and it has come back and spread a lot. I was thinking of Basket of Gold in the Sunroom rock garden last winter but stuff has filled in so there's no room in that bed. Would it grow in front of border like creeping phlox? How easy is it to dig up and divide after a few years?

Alyssum BOG is perennial, Alyssum COS is an annual that reseeds.

BOG is great at the very front of the border. I love this compact gray fuzzy plant that flowers in the spring.It has a different "habit" than creeping phlox, doesn't "spill", more upright but very petite - mine is about 5-6" tall. Very easy to dig up and divide.

The seeds I harvested and started immediately at the beginniing of June seem to have ALL germinated.I am excited to be easily making more plants for the front edge of my borders.