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First Lady Melania Trump has announced a new project! President Donald Trump’s wife, 50, plans to renew and restore the White House’s iconic Rose Garden this summer. “Even in the most difficult times, the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden has stood as a symbol of strength & continuity,” the mom of one penned alongside photos of the garden on July 27. The Be Best founder, who is honorary chairwoman of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, wants to preserve the garden’s history and beauty for generations to come.
“The very act of planting a garden involves hard work and hope in the possibility of a bright future,” Melania said in a statement. “Preserving the history and beauty of the White House and its grounds is a testament to our nation’s commitment to the care of this landscape and our dedication to American ideals, safeguarding them for our children and their children for generations to come.”
Two landscape architecture firms, Perry Guillot, Inc and Oehme, van Sweden & Associates/OvS, have collaborated on the garden’s final design plan. According to the White House, the plan will provide a renewal of the design created by Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon during the Kennedy Administration, which has been the “guiding blueprint for the Rose Garden since the installation in 1962.”
The White House noted that “decades of use and necessary changes to support the modern presidency have taken a toll” on the Rose Garden and have thus made it “more difficult to appreciate the symmetry of Rachel’s plan.” The new plans aim to return the garden to its “original ‘62 footprint and help ensure it will thrive with improved infrastructure, better drainage, and a healthier environment for plantings that reduce the risk of leaf blight.”
The restoration project, which is supported by the National Park Service and being funded with private donations, will also include “improved Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, utilities, and support for audiovisual and broadcasting needs that will allow for the continued enjoyment of the garden’s natural beauty and storied history.”