Focus on the BIG picture.
Monday, Nov 03, 2025
Outside the box.
President Trump Finalises White House Rose Garden Transformation
Lawn replaced with white–stone patio and Mar-a-Lago–style furnishings in major redesign of historic space
The refurbishment of the White House Rose Garden under President Donald Trump has been completed, with new photographs from August 1 2025 revealing a white-stone patio replacing the iconic grass lawn.
The changes feature umbrella-covered tables and a surface that closely resembles the patio design at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The president had long expressed concerns that the garden’s soft terrain hindered events, including press conferences, citing difficulties with high heels and wet grass.
He described the new stone surface as “very white… the same colour as the White House itself” and said it would reflect heat.
He also emphasised that the rose bushes would remain.
The redesign follows a major update in 2020 under First Lady Melania Trump and is managed by the Trust for the National Mall along with private donors.
Officials state the overhaul prioritises functionality for outdoor ceremonies and guests and preserves the garden’s historic rose plantings and hedged borders.
Public reaction has been divided: proponents say the upgrade reflects modern event-planning needs and maintains the space’s role as a presidential venue; others lament the loss of the Kennedy-era lawn and worry about precedent for further changes to the executive residence’s grounds.
Additional changes announced alongside the patio include installation of new drainage, re-surfacing using diamond-pattern stone tiles and the introduction of furnishings styled after Mar-a-Lago, including yellow-and-white striped umbrellas.
Sources say the next major project will be a new ballroom adjacent to the East Wing, expanding White House event-space capacity significantly.
As the garden now enters its new phase, the administration frames the renovation as a reflection of both heritage and enhanced usability, citing decades of wear and evolving demands on the People’s House.
The changes feature umbrella-covered tables and a surface that closely resembles the patio design at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The president had long expressed concerns that the garden’s soft terrain hindered events, including press conferences, citing difficulties with high heels and wet grass.
He described the new stone surface as “very white… the same colour as the White House itself” and said it would reflect heat.
He also emphasised that the rose bushes would remain.
The redesign follows a major update in 2020 under First Lady Melania Trump and is managed by the Trust for the National Mall along with private donors.
Officials state the overhaul prioritises functionality for outdoor ceremonies and guests and preserves the garden’s historic rose plantings and hedged borders.
Public reaction has been divided: proponents say the upgrade reflects modern event-planning needs and maintains the space’s role as a presidential venue; others lament the loss of the Kennedy-era lawn and worry about precedent for further changes to the executive residence’s grounds.
Additional changes announced alongside the patio include installation of new drainage, re-surfacing using diamond-pattern stone tiles and the introduction of furnishings styled after Mar-a-Lago, including yellow-and-white striped umbrellas.
Sources say the next major project will be a new ballroom adjacent to the East Wing, expanding White House event-space capacity significantly.
As the garden now enters its new phase, the administration frames the renovation as a reflection of both heritage and enhanced usability, citing decades of wear and evolving demands on the People’s House.
