Mesembryanthemum are often annuals and are where we get the lovely annual "Livingstone Daisies" so beloved of summer gardens.
They are not hard to grow, just sow , cover very lightly with compost and keep just moist and fairly warm. I can't say I've grown any of the "fancier" types..... someone here will know them better, I'm sure.
They get the name 'ice plant' because of the little cells all over the leaves that accumulate salt from the ground and shimmer and shine like little specks of ice on the foliage.
A lot of the perennial Mesembryanthemum have been moved to Delosperma, I think.....so a look at the pages of the forum dealing with those and similar succulent plants might be a help to you.
