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 Nancy Clarke, who spent three decades as the White House's chief florist, is used to the chaos of the holiday season.
The author of “My First Ladies,” a behind-the-scenes book about her time in the White House, Clarke also is planning on putting out a magazine in time for the Christmas holiday. The publication will chronicle a typical White House Christmas with 132 pages of photos and instructions on how to make your own arrangement. Clarke’s book is intriguing, allowing the average American a peek into White House life. For example, former First Lady Laura Bush was too polite at first to tell Clarke the type of flowers she’d prefer. She went with Hillary Clinton’s style at first, something completely different than Bush’s. Clarke's story as to how she got to the White House started in the air. She met her husband Michael in what seems like an episode straight out of ABC’s new hit show, "Pan Am." He was a military Air Force test pilot and she was a flight attendant. After they married, the Clarkes were transferred to Dayton, Ohio to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. “We had two small children and even though life was busy, I took part-time classes in home floral design,” Clarke said. Clarke and her husband were later transferred to the nation's capital where she heard that the White House was seeking volunteer flower designers. In the summer of 1978, Clarke got her wish, becoming a volunteer floral designer working with permanent staff to decorate the Executive Residence. Clarke went from simple nightstand arrangements for the First Lady to elaborate State Dinner centerpieces. When President Reagan was elected in 1981, she became a full-time member of the White House Flower Shop staff. Four years later, when Reagan began his second term, Clarke was hired as the White House Chief Floral Designer, a position she held for 24 years until her retirement. Growing up, Clarke never dreamed of being a florist. However, she did enjoy watching flowers change with the seasons. “I also liked playing around with flowers in my grandfather’s garden growing up,” she said. “What I wanted to be growing up varied day to day, but I can tell you floral design is where I belong.” Having two small children with such a demanding job leaves Clarke feeling a bit remorseful for not spending a lot of time with them. “We adapted well though,” she said. “They were latchkey kids when they were young but they loved it — they were telling me the other day how one afternoon they decided to taste every spice in the spice cabinet before my husband and I came home for dinner.” This time of year was typically incredibly for Clarke. She usually designed the First Family’s Camp David Thanksgiving arrangements and then all arrangements for their private Christmases. “Most presidents returned home or the Reagans would go back to their ranch,” she said. Now, Clarke keeps in touch with the First Ladies, communicating around the holidays. Some have congratulated Clarke on her book. Clarke lives in Virginia with her husband, who has since retired from the military.
----Kate Oczypok
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