1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,399 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum here back. In nineteen o two, 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: First Lady Edith Roosevelt, wife of President Theodore Roosevelt, took 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: it upon herself to convert an area of the White 5 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: House Grounds that once housed stables for horses and carriages 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: into a classic colonial garden as part of the Roosevelt Renovation. 7 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: Then in nineteen First Lady Ellen Louise Axon Wilson, the 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, followed her lead by 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: replacing what had become known as the West Garden with 10 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: a rose garden, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt went on 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty five to appoint famed landscape architect Frederick 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: Law Olmsted Jr. Son of the creator of New York 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: Central Park, to freshen up the design of the rose Garden. 14 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty one, under the direction of First Lady 15 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: Jacqueline Kennedy, amateur gardenist Rachel Lambert Bunny Melon was asked 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: to design the current garden, which led to what is 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: known today as the Kennedy Rose Garden, adjacent to the 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: Oval Office and cabinet room. We spoke via email with 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: Dan Roberts, a liberal arts and history professor at the 20 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: University of Richmond in Virginia who also serves as executive 21 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: producer and host of the syndicated history radio program A 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: Moment in Time. Roberts explained it was part of a 23 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: general landscape redesign of the White House complex. The Rose 24 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: Garden balanced the structure with the East Garden or Jacqueline 25 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: Kennedy Garden on the other side of living quarters in 26 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: the central and original building of the White House. This 27 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: is essentially the Rose Garden we know today. So how 28 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: did Bunny Melon become involved? It all began at a 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: summer picnic at Melon's Cape Cod Beach house that included 30 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: President in Missus Kennedy as guests, according to an interview 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: Melon conducted for the White House Historical Association. In that interview, 32 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: Mellon recalled hardly had the President came ashore from his 33 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: boat when he suggested we sit down and discuss a 34 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: garden for the White House. He and Missus Kennedy had 35 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: just returned from a state visit to France, followed by 36 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: stops in England and Austria. The President had noted that 37 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: the White House had no garden equal in quality or 38 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: attractiveness to the gardens that he had seen and in 39 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: which he had been entertained in Europe. There he had 40 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: recognized the importance of gardens surrounding an official residence, and 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: there appealed to the sensibilities of all people. Melan envisioned 42 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 1: a fifty by a hundred foot lawn that's about fifteen 43 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: by thirty meters, large enough to accommodate a thousand people 44 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: for ceremonial activities and receptions, and small enough to be 45 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: covered by a tent flanked in all four corners by 46 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: magnolia trees, and twelve foot or four meter wide borders 47 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: planted with smaller trees, roses, and other flowers, including flowers 48 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: used during Thomas Jefferson's period in office. The plans also 49 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: called for a platform on the west end of the 50 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: garden near the oval office, and a flagstone terrace on 51 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: the east end to serve as a place where the 52 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: president could relax and entertain guests or post small luncheons. 53 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,119 Speaker 1: To execute her design, Melan sought out Irvin Williams, head 54 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: gardener of Washington's Kennilworth quatic gardens, and then asked Jackie 55 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: to arrange for Williams to be transferred to the White 56 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: House's Chief Gardener, prestigious job that he held for almost 57 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: fifty years. The garden was unveiled on April nineteen sixty two, 58 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: and the first ceremonial occasion held there in July of 59 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty two featured swearing in of Anthony Celebreezi, the 60 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: former mayor of Cleveland, as the new Secretary of Health, 61 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: Education and Welfare. Melon's design created the White House central 62 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: lawns so familiar to today's TV viewers, according to Roberts. 63 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: He said, it's surrounded by flower beds anchored by crab 64 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: apple and little leaved linden trees. Hedges of thyme and 65 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: boxwood are intermingled with flower beds filled with the gardens 66 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: signature rose varieties Queen Elizabeth, Pascali, Pat Nixon, and King's Ransom. 67 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: Blooming bulbs of john Quill, daffodils, and tulips burst into 68 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: verdant color in springtime and summertime annuals paint the flower 69 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: beds with rich hues until fall, when flowering kale and 70 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: chrysanthemums and live in the garden with color almost until 71 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: the early days of winter. While Kennedy was in office, 72 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: he used the gardens to host Peace Corps volunteers before 73 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: they went overseas, invited the award winning University of Arkansas 74 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: choir to join him there, welcomed Algerian Premier Ahmed ben 75 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: Bella with a twenty one gun salute, and greeted the 76 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: astronauts of Project Mercury. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 77 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: Rose Garden also served as a dramatic backdrop as he 78 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: and advisers devised a strategy to avoid a nuclear war 79 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: with Russia. Today, the Rose Garden is kept as a 80 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: private reserve for the president to relax, read, converse with 81 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: his aids, and engage in contemplation, according to Roberts, but 82 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: he added that through the years, presidents have also used 83 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: the space to showcase diplomatic, social, and political events, making 84 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: important public proclamations, holding press conferences, greeting significant guests, introducing 85 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: political allies and appointees, rallying allies for partisan battles, and 86 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: celebrating congressional and national victory. Roberts said that among some 87 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: of the most memorable activities to take place there where 88 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: when quote Tricia Nixon was wed to Edward F. Cox 89 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: and spectacular nuptials in one and President Bill Clinton presided 90 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: over the declaration of peace between Israel and Jordan. But 91 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: it's not all serious stuff. He also said, one quirky 92 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: tradition rears its head, or shall we say their heads 93 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: in high summer. On July one, garden gnomes mysteriously appear 94 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: scattered throughout the rose garden. The number of these stone 95 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: characters happens to coincide with the number of living presidents, 96 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: and on Monday, July, First Lady Milannia Trump's office released 97 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: a statement announcing a massive renewal and enhancement of the 98 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: White House Rose Garden. The accompanying report lists, as part 99 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: of its mission statement quote to curate an outdoor experienced 100 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: transcendent of each administration and promote design solutions that are 101 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: steeped in scholarship and intellect and are reflective of meticular 102 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: liss attention to narrative intent and detail. Today's episode was 103 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: written by Wendy Bowman and produced by Tyler Klang. For 104 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: more on this and lots of other green topics, visit 105 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: how Stuffworks dot com. Brain Stuff is a production of 106 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the 107 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 108 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.