There is a very interesting account of the introduction and cultivation of Lilium neilgherrense in H.J. Elwes's magnificent 'Monograph of the Genus Lilium' (1880), which is fortunately* available to the world through the kind offices of Botanicus.org. The text for L. neilgherrense can be found here http://botanicus.org/page/287060/ [* An internet search indicates that a copy of the 1880 volume is available from Arader Galleries for £4778.00 and one could get the Supplements 1-9 from Old Imprints for a further £3784, but in this set Supplements 8 and 9 are the usual copies with printed colour plates (about 40 of each were issued with hand-coloured plates). For a little bit extra, Antiquariaat Junk has both volumes for £14,579, but this includes a double set of plates in the Supplements.] The rather plate was made by W.H. Fitch from a plant that bloomed here at Colesbourne in 1876. At that point Elwes, in his bumptious youth, thought it would be an easy plant to grow, but in his posthumous autobiography (he died 1922, it was published 1935) he reflects 'like many other species of lily it has not proved as easy to keep as it was to introduce.' John Grimshaw Visit John Grimshaw's Garden Diary http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com/ Dr. John M. Grimshaw Sycamore Cottage Colesbourne Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 9NP Tel. 01242 870567 Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park 2012 Every Saturday and Sunday in February and 3-4 March from 1pm Guided group tours on weekdays by appointment.