See Every Era of the White House Rose Garden, Including the Famed Kennedy Redesign & the Trumps’ Concrete Overhaul

The White House Rose Garden has long stood as one of the most treasured features of the Executive Residence — a space where presidents have played with their dogs, welcomed world leaders, delivered pivotal speeches, and celebrated family milestones like weddings.

Since the early 1900s, several first families have helped shape, preserve, and reimagine this iconic garden. First ladies Edith Roosevelt and Ellen Wilson laid its foundation, while President John F. Kennedy helped modernize it into the space Americans recognize today. Over the decades, the Rose Garden has become a symbol of presidential history and personal legacy.

Now, with Donald and Melania Trump introducing a bold new feature — a concrete patio installed at the center — the Rose Garden enters a new chapter. Here’s a look back at its transformation over the years.

When the White House was originally constructed, its grounds lacked the structured elegance we see today. The area that would become the Rose Garden housed stables and a fence separating the Executive Mansion from the public areas to the south.

By the mid-19th century, greenhouses and a conservatory had been added near the West Terrace, offering a place to grow flowers but no formal space to enjoy them. In 1902, the conservatory was torn down to make room for the newly designed West Wing, and First Lady Edith Roosevelt responded by creating a colonial-style West Garden.

This garden, with its intricate plant bed designs, served as an elegant pathway between the president’s living quarters and his offices. However, it lasted only a decade before another first lady redefined the space.

In 1913, Ellen Wilson arrived at the White House and began transforming the West Garden into what is now known as the Rose Garden. Working alongside landscape architect George Burnap, Wilson introduced a symmetrical layout and made roses the garden’s centerpiece. Though she passed away a year later, her influence remains deeply rooted in the garden’s legacy.

For many years, the Rose Garden remained relatively untouched. President Harry Truman used it as a construction staging ground during major White House renovations, while President Dwight Eisenhower later widened the lawn and trimmed back some of the foliage.

Then came President Kennedy. Inspired by European gardens, he envisioned a more refined and formal outdoor space for ceremonies and gatherings. With help from landscape designer Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, who was a close friend of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the Rose Garden underwent a significant transformation in 1961. The redesign introduced a central lawn surrounded by vibrant flower beds and flowering trees — a layout that defined the space for decades.

Under President George H.W. Bush, a bluestone walkway was added to the eastern border, becoming the entry point for many Rose Garden guests. Seasonal changes to the flowers and plants were guided by a mix of tradition and practicality. When First Lady Nancy Reagan undertook a significant update in 1981, she turned to Mellon for advice, further reinforcing the garden’s Kennedy-era roots.

Nearly 60 years later, First Lady Melania Trump initiated a controversial renovation in 2020. Her changes included removing the Kennedy crabapple trees, restructuring the flower beds, narrowing the lawn, and adding a limestone walkway around the perimeter.

When the Trumps returned to the White House in 2025, they made clear their intention to continue shaping the Rose Garden — this time, with a more pronounced architectural touch. In July 2025, they replaced the central lawn with concrete pavers, signaling a dramatic departure from the traditional green space that had come to symbolize the Rose Garden.

Though the new design has not yet been officially unveiled, the Trumps’ modifications mark a defining shift in one of the most storied spaces on the White House grounds.