Texas "Mountain" Laurels

I'm not sure how they got their name, but I love them. Texas Mountain Laurel is an evergreen shrub/tree that is very hardy (once established but a major pain to get to that point). It is known for the very beautiful and lovely-scented purple blooms it gets in Feb-March each year. Here's what they look like:

Anyway, I have a major obsession with these guys. In February I took seeds from one of my full-grown guys and attempted to start my own Texas Mountain Laurel nursery/farm in my backyard. I started with 23 of them and have lost about 8 since. These trees grow little seed pods in the spring. Inside those pods are rock-hard red beans. These are your seeds. Do not try to eat them. You will break a tooth.

Did I mention they are SLOW GROWING. Geez. The ones I've grown are about 6 months old and 3" tall. Ridiculous. Of course, this is why they are so expensive to buy if you get them at a fairly mature age. Here's the group I have now.The two guys on the front row didn't make it. I've notified their families.