had been extremely formal in style. Guided by advice from her horticulturalist friend Rachel Lambert Mellon, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began to use looser and more relaxed arrangements, many based upon 16th-century Flemish floral and fruit still lifes. China dishes from previous administrations were used as vases, including two 18th-century dessert coolers used by the Madisons. The White House collection of vermeil tableware, previously only on display in the Vermeil Room, was also utilised for arrangements. The position of Chief Floral Designer was established, and Rusty Young was the first to occupy the position, continuing to work into the Johnson and Nixon 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. White House chief floral designers References Clinton, Hillary Rodham. An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History. Simon & Schuster: 2000. . Finegold, Stan, and Dottie Temple. Flowers, White House Style: With 100 Original Designs by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator. Simon & Schuster: 2002. . 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. Chief Floral Designer, White House Floristry