Seed catalogues

Ahh - the siren's lure of the seed catalogue.
When the snow is snowing and the wind is blowing, ther's nothing like a pile of seed catalogues to keep a frustrated gardener warm.
I get catalogues from McFayden's, Veseys, Stokes, Brecks, Spring Garden, Henry Field's, and more. I don't get Botanus, but I'd love to.
I doesn't matter that I realize, deep down, that the beautiful pictures don't always translate into reality. Last year, the purple bells that I was hoping would grace my planters didn't even come up. And what looked like a very pretty plant, the sun berry, turned out to be a weedy magnet for potato bugs and flea beetles, with berries that were inedible. We gardeners are a hardy lot, and we never give up hope.

This year I'm trying something else new - the Livingstone Daisy, also called Ice Plant. The pictures are amazing - daisy-like flowers in white, pink, and yellow. I remember getting a flat of those plants a few years ago. The best part was the foliage - somehow the leaves look like they are covered with shiny crystals of ice. I bought the seeds from Veseys a few weeks ago. I planted them right away, followed the directions of giving them bottom heat, and presto - within 4 days, the tiny seeds sprouted. The leaves are already shiny, sturdy little guys. I'm hoping for great things!