Nancy Meyers' fresh-cut lilies are 'still so pretty 6 days later' – experts explain how she makes them last

Nancy Meyers keeps her bouquet of white lilies looking fresh as ever in a glass vase on her coffee table, they're incredibly simple to care for

Nancy Meyers
(Image credit: Getty Images / Vera Anderson / Contributor)

Utilizing flowers as home decor is one of our favorite ways to brighten up a space. For inspiration, we're taking cues from set decorator and filmmaker extraordinaire Nancy Meyers.

The Something's Gotta Give and The Holiday director, who is known for her films' stunning interiors, recently shared a snap of her coffee table styling, which features a magnificent bouquet of fresh, white lilies housed in a glass vase. Surrounded by coffee table books, the delicate flowers look effortlessly chic. 'Farmers Market lilies still so pretty 6 days later,' Meyers captioned the post.

Want to know how to keep flowers fresh in a vase for as long as possible? We spoke to an expert to get his top flower care tips. 'Lilies make for some of the best cut flowers to grow in the garden border,' says master gardener and content editor at Homes & Gardens, Thom Rutter. 'Dramatic, colorful and fragrant, lilies have it all.' For those with green thumbs, lilies, with their wide array of options (there are over 2,000 varieties of this bloom) are an excellent addition to any garden.

Though these flowers are evocative of spring, Rutter explains that lily bulbs are planted well in advance of the season. As such, there are some care considerations to make so they survive weather changes. 'Lily bulbs tend to be planted in the fall months going on to bloom the following summer,' he says. 'Just be sure to incorporate plenty of drainage when planting your bulbs, as they will not thank you for sitting in wet, waterlogged soil.'

To get flowers like Meyers' on the table, Rutter suggests simple snipping the stems and placing them in a spacious vase. 'When lilies bloom in the garden borders during July, August and September, you can cut and use them indoors,' Rutter states. 'As Nancy Meyers shows, pure white lilies can be incredibly impactful whether they stay in the yard or you bring them indoors for a floral display. White lily bulbs are available to buy online from Walmart.'

To keep the flowers looking fresh and healthy, Rutter says that special attention should be paid to the vase; it is actually just as important as the flowers themselves. 'A word of caution, however, lily stems and flowers can be large, so be sure to choose the right vase for your cut flowers,' he suggests. 'In addition, change the water every few days to ensure that your lilies last for as long as possible.'


Shop H&G's Lily Essentials

Below, we have rounded up some essential products to achieve a Nancy Meyers-worthy, home floral arrangement. From lily bulb, to the right fertilizer, to the proper vase, growing beautiful bulbs recreating the look has never been easier.


If you love the look of fresh flowers as decor but you just can't master growing lily bulbs, there are many options of beautiful fabric flowers that allow you to decorate with flowers without the commitment. No matter your preference, a look like Nancy Meyers's is well within reach.


Hannah Ziegler
News Editor

Hannah is Homes & Gardens’ News Editor, with a focus on celebrity style and entertainment content. She got her start in media as a digital editorial assistant at ELLE Canada, and has since written about lifestyle and culture for publications such as Nylon and i-D.

Her love of film is rivalled only by one with a great soundtrack, and she hopes to someday decorate a Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchen.