Just Lilium poilanei. That's all.

Here he is, the Lily I've been waiting all season to see, following the single flower bud from infancy, through adolescence, to at 6am this morning, adulthood. The  pictures have been taken inside purely for wind reasons, Lilium poilanei is not a houseplant: although you might succeed if you have no heating and a north-facing windowsill. But I wouldn't recommend it. It will do best in dappled, shade growing in an open but moisture retentive soil, perhaps with a few Mecanopsis and Primulas among some of the smaller Rhododendrons.  It will only cost you a tenner or so.

On the same subject, I've been breaking every rule in the book by checking the pots of those bulbs that made no growth this year (all of them new and just settling in). All except one, either majoense of farrerii were in rude health, and ciliatum was the size of a cricket ball. With the slightly unhappy one I took of all trace of foul smelling rot, rolled the whole think in sulphur and replanted it in a much more open compost, placing the bulb itself on a pile of grit to keep the base dry.

Anyway, the moment I've all been waiting for (apologies if you're not a lily fan ... )

6am today: definitely flaring...

And recurving (sorry about the  blinds, it was windy)

Erm, much the same but an upright

And this evening, perfection! (If a little harshly lit)

So let's overcompensate by making it invisible

Getting a bit repetitive now ...

Bring it inside and lie on my back, that might work!

The leaves are falling off every time I move it, it's taken so long to reward my credit card

Think I might be on my back again. It's a bit like shagging, this photography lark

A better version of the previous one. Last one coming up ...

This is quite a good one to finish on. So there you are, Lilium Poilanei. I've finally flowered  a Chinese green and brown job. And it's already had four babies!

Well, I have many more shots of new blooms: Tricyrtis, Alstroemeria, Tropaeolum speciosum and, amazingly, from seed to flowering in 6 weeks, Corydalis sempervirens. Oh, and Bomareas and Ipomoeas. But for another day. 

Good night, school and anxiety back soon but day at a time. The Plantboy x