Lily Pons (named after the famous opera singer), needs a lot of room to grow, well fertilized, & time to get established. If you don't have a mud bottom pond, the bigger the pot you can put it in the better. I can get 2-4 blooms per year if I don't disturb the plant too much.
Maybe Mike will speak up & tell us/show us pics of how his does in his mud pond. Mike did point out in a different posting that it does prefer shallow water. I sent one to Joyce last year but haven't heard as to how it is doing this year.
If you've got the room & patience, it is well worth the wait. The first couple of blooms may not look as full as they should but the remaining ones do.
Congrats Frank!