The sowing and germination requirements of perennial herbs and flowers vary greatly depending on what you are planning to grow so each type of seed needs to be dealt with separately according to specific instructions. Many perennials are actually quite tricky to start from seed and would do better under lights indoors or at least in the shelter of a cold frame or unheated greenhouse at this time of year. ( I am in zone 8 here as well)
You could use these cold dark weeks to cold stratify seed that requires that treatment but frankly it’s actually easier to do that in some peat moss in your fridge crisper.
Nothing wintersown outdoors at this time, even the super hardy weediest annuals will germinate and grow right now outside. That said, many things can Be sown expecting germination not to occur until spring but perennial seeds tend to be expensive and fussy in my experience as a rule. It can take years for many popular perennials to grow to flowering size and many of the best and newest are hybrids so must be grown from divisions or cuttings rather than seeds. depending on what perennials you want to grow, starting from seed may sometimes be a lengthy and possibly disappointing endeavour.
I dont mean to be discouraging, some things could do well. I can help with specifics if you have a list of seeds you plan to try.
KarenO
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