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TheWhite House chief floral designer is responsible for the planning,design, arrangement, and placement of allfloral decorations for thefirst family, their private entertaining, and official state functions at theWhite House, the official residence and principal workplace of thepresident of the United States. The current chief floral designer is Hedieh Ghaffarian.^[1]

The chief floral designer heads the White House Flower Shop in theWhite House basement. The chief floral designer leads a staff of four assistant designers and works with thefirst lady,chief usher, andWhite House social secretary to plan arrangements and decorations forstate dinners, receptions, and day-to-day placement throughout the ceremonial rooms andExecutive Residence. The chief floral designer serves at the president's pleasure and may be appointed, or reappointed, by each administration.^[2] The first chief floral designer was Nancy Clarke, who began working at the White House in 1978 during the administration of PresidentJimmy Carter, first as a part-time volunteer, and eventually becoming full-time permanent staff in 1981 during the administration of PresidentRonald Reagan. Nancy Clarke served six first families during her 31 years at the White House. She retired on May 31, 2009, and was an author and lecturer until her death in January 2012.^[3]

During the early republic, the White House usedflowers sparingly, initially only in the summer months when in season. Wax fruit and wax, silk and paste porcelain flowers were displayed in the French porcelain and gilt bronze vases purchased by PresidentJames Monroe for the White House in 1815. By the mid-1830s, a series ofgreenhouses were begun on the west side of the White House above the West Colonnade; they continued to be added to on the west, occupying much of the space of the presentWest Wing. The greenhouses allowed year-round use of potted plants andcut flowers in the White House. At their zenith, the White House greenhouses supplied thousands of potted plants to the White House.

The 1902 renovations of the White House removed the greenhouses and constructed the West Wing and East Wing. Flowers were brought from nearby government greenhouses. With the advent of plane transportation, flowers began to arrive from distant destinations: Florida, Colorado for First LadyMamie Eisenhower's favored pinkcarnations, and southern California.

Until the administration ofJohn F. Kennedy, floral arrangements at the White House had been extremely formal in style. Guided by advice from herhorticulturalist friendRachel Lambert Mellon, First LadyJacqueline Kennedy began to use looser and more informal arrangements, many based upon 16th-centuryFlemish floral and fruitstill lifes. China dishes from previous administrations were used as vases, including two 18th-century dessert coolers used by the Madisons. The White House collection ofvermeil tableware, previously only on display in theVermeil Room, was also utilized for arrangements. The position of Chief Floral Designer was established, and Rusty Young was the first to occupy the position, continuing to work into theJohnson andNixon administrations.

In addition to the ongoing production of fresh-cut floral displays for the White House, the chief floral designer oversees the annual holiday decoration of the house.

• Clinton, Hillary Rodham.An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History. Simon & Schuster: 2000.ISBN 0-684-85799-5.
• Finegold, Stan, and Dottie Temple.Flowers, White House Style: With 100 Original Designs by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator. Simon & Schuster: 2002.ISBN 978-0-7432-3869-4.
• Mellon, Rachel Lambert.The White House Gardens Concepts and Design of the Rose Garden. Great American Editions Ltd.: 1973.
• Montgomery, Ruth.Flowers at the White House: An informal tour of the home of the President of the United States. M. Barrows and Company, Inc.: 1967.
• My First Ladies: Twenty-Five Years as the White House Chief Floral Designer.

• White House Executive Residence Operations
• Floristry

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