The White House Rose Garden, established by President Woodrow Wilson’s wife, Ellen Wilson, in 1913, has seen many changes over the years. Presidents and first ladies have planted, removed, redesigned, and even fully revamped it.
Early Years
The original Rose Garden remained close to its roots for nearly half a century until 1961, when President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy brought in their friend and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, neighbor, Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon, to oversee a redesign.
Mellon, a horticulture expert, worked closely with landscape architect Perry Wheeler and White House Head Gardener Irwin Williams on plans for the new Rose Garden, aiming to create an outdoor room where press conferences, meetings with dignitaries, and ceremonies could be held.
Recent Changes
In 2020, first lady Melania Trump commissioned two architectural firms to work with the Committee for the Preservation of the White House and the National Park Service to address concerns and return the garden to its 1962 aesthetic.
In 2025, President Trump revamped the space again, this time replacing the central lawn with a white limestone patio. He added solar-powered lighting, tables, and umbrellas, and bronze statues of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
