Anyone who has ever patched up a relationship with a bouquet knows the power of flowers. Without having to say "sorry," hurt feelings seem to float away like petals in a breeze.
In the White House, this simple act gets elevated to floral diplomacy, and one of the experts in the art, former White House chief florist Laura Dowling, has written a book about it.
Dowling will be in Portland July 6 and 7, and copies of "Floral Diplomacy at the White House" ($45, Stichting Kunstboek) are available at Powell's Books. From Portland, she travels north where she will be signing at Barnes & Noble Northgate Store in Seattle from 7-9 p.m. July 8 and Book 'n' Brush in Chehalis from 1-3 p.m. July 9.
In her handsome, 144-page hardcover book, Dowling explains how diplomatic messages can be conveyed through botanical metaphors.
In 2011, White House guest German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who holds a doctorate in physical chemistry, saw four small topiaries -- "molecular bouquets" -- orbiting a larger bouquet of moss, horsetail and lily grass to represent the symbol for infinity and signify endless possibilities, according to Dowling.
For a White House state dinner in 2009, guests from India were honored with table settings inspired by the peacock, a source of pride and beauty in Indian culture. Atop apple-green silk linens were fuchsia and purple flowers -- hydrangeas, sweet peas, roses and orchids -- in Tiffany bamboo vermeil containers.
In 2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni were greeted by pink parrot tulips and garden roses arranged in French-style bouquets.
Maybe Prince Harry will never come to your home for tea, but wouldn't it be nice to greet your mother-in-law with her favorite peonies?
The ideas in the book, illustrated by 100 photographs, will inspire ways to celebrate birthdays and holidays, and, of course, one-on-one relationships.
Dowling, who grew up in Chehalis, and earned degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle, emphasizes two approaches to home-style floral diplomacy.
Go easy: Just as with a relationship, flower arrangements shouldn't be stiff and unyielding, but romantic and natural.
Consider the container: Hand-made natural vases made of leaves, branches and berries woven into patterns and motifs can also convey a message.
-- Janet Eastman
jeastman@oregonian.com
503-799-8739
@janeteastman