Rose Garden ready ahead of GOP convention
WASHINGTON — The White House Rose Garden has been spruced up in time for its moment in the campaign spotlight.
First lady Melania Trump will deliver her Republican National Convention speech Tuesday night fromthe garden, famous for its close proximity to the Oval Office. The three weeks of work on the garden, which was done in the spirit of its original 1962 design, were showcased to reporters on Saturday.
White House officials said the renovations were paid for by private donations. They declined to reveal the cost of thework.
The location of the first lady’s speech will be just oneof theways theRepublican convention will break with political norms. Federal rules prohibit the White House from being the setting for expressly political events, a regulation many presidents have flirted with violating.
But the Trump family will be the first to use the executive mansion for a political convention. Beyond the first lady’s address, President Donald Trump will deliver his speech Thursday night from the WhiteHouse’s South Lawn.
Theflowers inthe garden are largely pastels, which are favored by the first lady, including taller white roses, which were in honor of the first papal visit to the White House by Pope John Paul II in 1979. A diamond-like shape of boxwoodswas also added, while about a dozen crabapple trees were removed and will be replanted elsewhere.
A seating area on the east side of the garden— used at times by presidents for lunch and other meetings— has been removed and will be replaced by a yet-to-beannounced art installation.
Presidents have long used the Rose Garden for events, andTrumphas been increasingly using it for outdoor events, which are considered safer for gatherings during the pandemic.