My lilies and lotus tend to bloom the first year I put them in, yes. I agree that there's a lot of variability in how the water lilies handle the cold. My hardies seem to be quicker to stop blooming, though they often have foliage all winter under the water. Day light seems to be determinative for me, though. Once the light gets too low, nothing blooms.
My order was in with Bergen last month, when they announced the new varieties.
