The conservatory at Longwood Gardens overflowed with the best new lily varieties in the first-ever Lilytopia, an event modeled on the Netherlands' Keukenhof lily display. Dutch growers shipped 16,000 stems of lilies to the gardens, and teams worked under the direction of Dorien van den Berg, one of Holland's most inspired floral designers, to arrange enormous displays.
A full-day symposium May 24, 2010, featured talks by breeders, growers, designers, and floral buyers. The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers held its Mid-Atlantic regional meeting at Longwood the following day, and many flower growers arrived a day early to participate in the Lilytopia symposium.
Breeders are constantly improving lilies for cut and potted flowers. Color and fragrance are important, as is the orientation of the flowers -- whether they face outward, up or down. Many of the varieties on display have not yet been introduced into the U.S. market, so growers had the chance to see the newest hybrids and cultivars and vote for their favorites. Scroll down to see the winners and some of my personal favorites.
3rd place: Oriental lily 'Tigerwoods' 
2nd place: Martagon lily 'Orange Marmalade'
These gorgeous lilies look like orchids, with numerous small, bright flowers arranged on long stems. They are not currently widely available in the cut flower trade, so they may present a new opportunity. 
1st place: Oriental lily 'Pico'
Other lilies that growers and designers loved: Oriental Trumpet 'Shocking'
Oriental Trumpet 'Gluhwein'
Oriental Trumpet 'Saltarello'
Oriental 'Chill Out'
More scenes from Lilytopia:
GFM Founder Lynn Byczynski was recently honored by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) for her work educating flower farmers through her writing in Growing for Market and her book, 
I have been following the flower farming adventures of Pamela and Frank Arnosky, owners of Texas Specialty Cut Flowers, from the start. Their wonderful monthly column here in Growing For Market spanned more than 15 years and eventually became two fabulous books, We’re Gonna Be Rich (out of print) and Local Color (still available from GFM). When I got wind that the ASCFG was hosting one of their four conferences at the Arnoskys’ farm this winter, I flipped a gasket. Visiting their famous operation has long been a dream so with a little nudging from Lynn, my husband Chris and I hopped a plane and ventured deep into Texas hill country to learn the secrets of successful flower farming from two of the finest masters in the biz!