One of the biggest surprises in my new bulb house, where the bulbs are no longer contained in pots or mesh baskets, is Notholirion thomsonianum, a Himalayan lily relative with a monocarpic (but freely offsetting) bulb. Two clusters of bulbs set free on the moist side of the bulb house have matured their bulbs very fast, so that each cluster is producing six to eight flowering stems as tall as 3 feet (nearly 1 metre). The larger cluster has produced, from its central (largest and oldest) bulb, a fasciated stem. This oddity, also known in Lilium, is characterized by a scape that is flattened in its upper part and that carries many more than the usual number of flower buds. I haven't counted them, but there are more than forty. (A normal scape has 10 to 20.) I always felt that this plant needed a dry resting period to flower, but obviously it has no objection to plenty of water during its growth period. I sold quite a few of these through my surplus bulb list in past years, and I strongly encourage those who have them to free them from their pots and give them a deep root run with plenty of moisture in winter and spring. I have never before seen both the central bulb and its younger offsets flower in the same year. I'm assuming there are many small offsets left to carry on. For those who haven't seen this unusual plant, the flowers look like small trumpet lilies and are an unusual lavender-buff color, and they are fragrant. It is hardy outdoors to at least 15 degrees F. given good drainage. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA