People Are Ridiculing Melania Trump’s White House Rose Garden Renovation With Savage Tweets
Ever since 1961, when President Kennedy came up with the idea to design the Rose Garden at the west end of the White House, the garden has become an icon by itself.
Designed by the gardener Rachel Lambert Mellon, it has been home to a colorful selection of magnolias, cherry trees, roses, tulips, and other botanical beauties. Both harmonious and subtle, it has framed the view toward the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office and reflected every changing pattern of American history.
But on Saturday, the First Lady unveiled her Rose Garden remake that was meant to bring the space to its original roots. But the redesign received strong backlash on social media with people being far from impressed with the results. The internet dubbed Melania’s makeover “#RoseGardenMassacre,” comparing the result to a lifeless "parking lot." The hashtag is now trending and people have a lot to say about it.
After you're done reading this one, check out our new article on the gardener who stepped in to defend Melania's redesign.
This post may include affiliate links.
The iconic Rose Garden came to being after President Kennedy and the first lady returned from a state visit to France. In the summer of 1961, they visited the gardener Rachel Lambert Mellon and invited her to bring the space back to life.
In a piece written for the White House Historical Association in the early 1980s, Mellon revealed that “Kennedy noted that the White House had no garden equal in quality or attractiveness to the gardens that he had seen and in which he had been entertained in Europe. There he had recognized the importance of gardens surrounding an official residence and their appeal to the sensibilities of all people.”
The garden was begun in the spring of 1962 and finished at the end of the same year. Most importantly, its creator said that “It was truly President Kennedy’s garden” and he always showed how much he cared about it.
This! What the heck is with her dark depressing style of decorating?
Every time I look at pictures of the ruined—-sorry—-“renovated” Rose Garden, my first thought is “Where TF are the roses”? Then again, we must remember her rows of red “Handmaiden” Christmas trees. A woman of little taste and imagination—-of course, look who she married. Unless drumpf has a meltdown tantrum from sensory overload when he sees too many colors all at once.
And removing old growth trees and roses put in by past First Ladies (who actually were ladies) is unconscionable.
That Melania Trump took on a task so clearly associated with the Kennedys doesn’t come as a surprise, since President Trump told Fox & Friends that “We have our own Jackie O. It’s called Melania, Melania T.”
Today, the flowers in the garden are largely pastels chosen according to the tastes of 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. The most obvious change to the garden was the addition of a 3-foot-wide limestone walking path bordering the central lawn.
But after the first lady tweeted the first images from her renovation, the new Rose Garden received many mixed reactions.
"Soul? We don't need soul! Color? We don't need color!"... and that sums up the Trumps IMHO
In all fairness... even Trump's own sister thinks he's a piece of turd.
Trump: "It was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe." What a delusional egomaniacal moron.
Because they would’ve preferred Nixon over Kennedy. But even Pat Nixon knew better than to cut down Jackie’s trees!
Goli soda, nobody needs that pro-trump negativity today. Thanks.
She could go into cemetery landscaping—-since she’ll have to find a job when drumpf goes to prison and all his assets are RICO’d. And she’s now too old for the “modeling” she used to do.
All white. Like he envisions the US—-a country built by diverse groups of immigrants. Including his ancestors, and his wife.
Well, what TF does the drumpf family know about a kitchen garden? They don’t even know where the kitchen is.
Puleeease... we are not her (or his) citizens. We are citizens of the US who made a bad choice and are now paying for it.
Once they’re gone, the next First Lady will need to replace the trees with seedlings grown from cuttings of the originals. Thing is, it’ll take 60 years to get them to where they were before she cut them down.
Grass and pavement. The two most ecologically destructive landscaping features.
Yes! She cut down—-murdered—-old growth trees planted 60 years ago!
Goli Soda, why b***h about the Obamas? Barack isn't currently in office. Instead we have a orange sociopath and his gold digging wife.
“Empty and bleak like her husband’s presidency”. And our lives for the last 3 years, 7 months. Vote BLUE and we could see a light at the end of a very dark, dank, stinking tunnel.
Before M.T. Destroyed the rose garden that was beautiful. Now it's dead with no life like the frumps that live there now.
Once again, comparing a garden in that one week in spring when everything is blooming to a newly installed garden in August.
i dont think your getting the point but what do i know
Load More Replies...Completely misses the point of a garden... she has made it no more than landscaping for a walkway.
Well, the fact of it being historical means you leave it the f**k alone. Maintain it, don’t level it.
Oh, she’s probably spinning her way out of her grave. Hope she haunts Melania.
Even a cemetery can look more inviting. Hell, she didn’t even put in any statuary to break up the monotony—-though I shudder to think of what kind of statues she’d pick.
I am really getting tired of entertainers bitching about homelessness and hunger in the US but will instead rally for support for other countries. Don't get me wrong, I know there are needy people across the globe. My problem is that they will point fingers at people they don't like and accuse them of not helping the problem yet they refuse to help as well. If you don't fix your backyard, you have no business fixing others' backyards.
My grandparents had a beautiful flowering dogwood tree in their front yard. They are iconic in the city where they lived (Quincy, IL). After my grandpa died, my grandma sold the house and moved to Florida. The first thing the new owners did was cut down the dogwood. This reminds me of that. They probably tore out my grandpa's roses as well. I don't know. We couldn't stand to drive by any more after that.
I have no problem with people having an opinion, but they should at least get their facts straight. The rose garden has had the so called "central lawn" since it's redesign by Rachel Lambert Mellon in 1961. So no real change there. (Just carefully and deceptively cropped photos.) Those weren't cherry trees. They were crabapples. And the sidewalks were required by the ADA, which, yes, even the White House has to follow. So in summary: same layout, old crabapples removed, federally required sidewalks installed. Grrrr, the outrage.
Still looks hideous...even with the "facts straight".....and yes, having it go from soulful, bright and full of color to....this......YES grrrrrr....the outrage is right.
Load More Replies...A lot of the comments I've read show a lack of public gardening knowledge. For example, in public gardens, tulips are treated as annuals and new bulbs are planted every year. After they're done blooming in spring, they're dug up, thrown away, and replaced with summer annuals. D.C. is warm enough to have winter annuals such as pansies and flowering kale.
Tulips grown in residential gardens last only a few seasons before they quit blooming. That is, if they survive being munched on by chipmunks and rabbits. I gave up tulips in favor of daffodils and narcissuses because they're poisonous to wildlife and they reproduce.
Load More Replies...The trees were crabapple trees and were blocking the sun from the flowers (roses) that depend on large amounts of light. The trees were transplanted elsewhere. The sidewalks were uneven and lopsided. The roses have been deadheaded (pruned) so that they may continue to grow.
And the bulbs have been removed so there's nary a crocus nor tulip to be found.
Load More Replies...Frankly, a few of these postings make fun of Trump (and Melania). This is fine. Many over-dramatically play the "I am oooof sooo offended" card. A garden re-design typically means removing stuff. Whether you like the new garden or not is a matter of personal choice. Interestingly, those people who are offended most probably do what helps Trump the most: taking unimportant topics as this as a decoy to get people wondering about the real issues.
I agree, this is a personal choice and you either like it or you don't. There are enough things to get outraged about atm without getting upset about a garden.
Load More Replies...Hope people understand the trees are in the greenhouse and not destroyed. And the rose bloom in May not August. So give it a season an see how it looks. Also it's nice there is pathways for disabled folks to use. Everyone hates on her for just trying to do a nice thing.
We have roses blooming now, and I'm a c**p gardener. And the trees are already shedding their leaves here
Load More Replies...I just read more into this and this is what I found. Every administration has done some sort of change to the garden, it is pretty much expected. The recent changes include better drainage system for healthier plants, and for the first time, access for the physically impaired. The crabapple trees which were removed were replanted elsewhere on the property. Melania does prefer pastel colors so the scheme may not be as vibrant as prior, but it is worth noting that most of the flowers were just planted, and anyone who knows anything about flowers knows that it takes tome for the plants root systems to take hold, and only after that will it fully bloom. Furthermore, the before pictures were taken in spring (tulips bloom only in spring), which adds a tremendous amounof color which wouldn't be showing now
I do not like the Trumps. I am simply pointing out how blinded people have willingly become. You can see only want you allow yourself to see.
Load More Replies...The tulips and trees were a mess, now the columns and the building look way better, why hide them? And no, I do not like Trump, or his wife, but this garden is simply modern, and not half bad.
I've seen the old version only in photos on this page - but that did look like the typical amateur garden: just plant what ever you can find at a discount in the local garden center. I guess there were emotional and historical values with the old one. But this new version fits the location better. The White house is not a friendly, cuddly place. One of the places where the world's future is decided. This new garden echoes that nicely.
Load More Replies...Yes, I do think sidewalks were needed for the disabled, but even then, why have the sidewalks if there isn't any color to look at??
I dislike Trump as much as the next person, but not only does the sidewalk make the garden more accessible to folks in wheelchairs, those flower bulbs in the first colorful photo bloom in March. It's currently August. Be careful you're not also downsizing the importance of accessibility in the name of dissing Trump.
with a lot of news and coverage of the white house, I have still yet to see all the wheelchairs lined up to roll out into the gardens ... just how many handicapped people are there these days, visiting the white house - after all, most of the tours have been stopped, there is razor-wire and hurricane fences around it all, and with tourists from around the world being warned off visiting the US in the first place ... I guess even the handicapped need and want to see a Plague Memorial at some point
Load More Replies...Everyone offended by the new look... don't visit any formal Italian gardens. you'll be massively offended.
Bored Panda, is my favorite program, I like to make comments, however, I have never felt so miserable, and left nasty comments, but true to my feelings, I look forward, in time to hear about, positive changes to the garden, take a deep breath, hope for better !!!
I’d be fine with it as long as they kept the spirit of Jackie’s garden. I don’t think it’d be hard to find volunteers or even hire someone to keep maintenance on the sidewalks and the crabapple trees. Sure, Melania may have met the ADA’s requirements, but in a way that undermined the importance and beauty of the original garden.
Since Biden is going to be President, I hope he and his wife will be able to re-plant everything the Trumps tore down. Maybe it won't be easy, but no great feat ever is.
i think Ms.Melania has a great taste in fashion. Her dresses are beautiful, for the most part. As much as i hate this new garden, as long as she likes it who am i to judge? Doesnt mean this is one of the most hideous things i have ever seen. Could b uglier than my backyard, which is nothing but dust and weeds. Wait. It is uglier than my backyard.
It's a garden. Americans are always fighting the wrong battles- no wonder nothing changes!
My parents moved 39 years ago. We had a very straight, very tall maple tree in the back yard. I moved out of state 40 years ago. Every year since then, when I go back to visit, I drive down that street to make sure that maple tree is still there. I was unable, because of Covid, to check on the tree this year.
Why has Bored Panda now gone so negative. I read this because I usually enjoy non-political items. This was all Political. Please no more.
For those wanting to 'get the facts straight', this may be a useful read. But do it quickly as 45 is bound to want to rewrite it asap: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-kennedys-rose-garden
The gorgeous vivid tulips would last only a few weeks or a month. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-kennedys-rose-garden
If Michelle Obama had done this exact thing everyone would be gushing over it and there would be a TV special about how wonderful it is. I hope one day we can move beyond the emotional maturity of jr highers.
I don't think the hedges and beds etc are so bad. They are quite elegant and I like the cluster of round shrubs. But what madperson cuts down mature trees on a property they only live at for four years? (Hopefully). What kind of landscaping design firm even suggests this??
They didn't cut them down. They transplanted them to another on premise location.
Load More Replies...Ok remember the old garden was not ADA compliant for Wheel Chair and disabled accessibility, now it is. 2) The old Rose Garden was dead 4 months of out the year, the new layout and plant choices ensure there will be bloom and flowers all 12 months of the year. Plus the allergen flowers were moved to side places, making it easier for people with allergies to enjoy it.3) Even the WaPo editorial board admitted this was a positive step and needed badly. 4)This is just anti-Trump people trying to fake outrage because "Trump" without even bothering to care about disabled people getting access or year round bloom, etc. Really exposes the frauds out there
Rose - JFK's mother - is who the garden was named after, not the particular flower necessarily.
Load More Replies...You and comment and insult anything but DO NOT INSULT CHINA😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
Where are the roses in this Rose Garden? Pruned, some say. The rose season is over. Well, I don't know what type of roses were planted earlier, but I can tell you that in Great-Britain, we have a huge variety of roses that bloom from June to late October, come in all colours, and have a delicate perfume to boot. Melania seems to have confined her taste to white roses. A bit dull, to say the least. Very disappointing.
Wait I got it, this was done all in preparation for it to be the backdrop for the final night if the convention. 100% that oath is for some reason and the tress probably had to go so people could see Trump. Let's see on Thursday. His vanity and distraction for his own mean has no bottom
Which is clearly illegal (Hatch Act violation) - a civil servant cannot use government property for political events.
Load More Replies...The busybodies of the internet were never going to be happy with any changes. They hullaballoo'd over Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress too.
Well, one can only hope the next First Lady plants some nice mature trees and colourful flowerbeds. And add some bee hives to make up for this bleak cemetery. Should be an awesome place to sit and have a cup of tea! Malaria will be gone sometime...
This is such a sad ploy by liberals. There is nothing to see here folks, do your research!
Kathryn Baylis chill out! It is really a personal decision, how is it at all political!
Good, it's extremely ugly, boring and shows that she has NO Taste. what a twat
Any American that votes for Trump is voting for this. Lets hope EVERY American has learned their lesson and won't make this mistake again
*shush* ... you just keep drinking you party's kool-aid and save those little face-pillows for all the evil they are going to come up with later on in life
Load More Replies...Jackie O destroyed Edith Roosevelt's 1902 colonial garden to create the Rose Garden.
Load More Replies...They had more than just tulips planted there. It was full of an ever-blooming array of colorful bulbs, making it cheery. I tend to straddle between both parties, depending on the issue, so for me this is just sad because they didn't need to completely uproot everything.
Load More Replies...If you think people here are only talking about a garden and not about politics, I don't think you're really reading the comments. Or, you're choosing to ignore the ones that don't support your agenda. I'm a middle of the road person, don't particularly like Trump, but these comments are nasty, and vicious, and have an awful lot to do with politics.
Load More Replies..."word is"? Maybe, but the FACT IS it was not paid by taxpayers but by private donors. Just another DNS/Chinese talking point lie. The American people deserve an investigation of Biden/Chinese collusion!
Load More Replies...The fools who aren't upset are also mentally unstable. There, I fixed it for you.
Load More Replies...Your points are valid, and I agree, but being offensive only strengthens their resolve. There is a better way to prove a point.
Load More Replies...My grandparents had a beautiful flowering dogwood tree in their front yard. They are iconic in the city where they lived (Quincy, IL). After my grandpa died, my grandma sold the house and moved to Florida. The first thing the new owners did was cut down the dogwood. This reminds me of that. They probably tore out my grandpa's roses as well. I don't know. We couldn't stand to drive by any more after that.
I have no problem with people having an opinion, but they should at least get their facts straight. The rose garden has had the so called "central lawn" since it's redesign by Rachel Lambert Mellon in 1961. So no real change there. (Just carefully and deceptively cropped photos.) Those weren't cherry trees. They were crabapples. And the sidewalks were required by the ADA, which, yes, even the White House has to follow. So in summary: same layout, old crabapples removed, federally required sidewalks installed. Grrrr, the outrage.
Still looks hideous...even with the "facts straight".....and yes, having it go from soulful, bright and full of color to....this......YES grrrrrr....the outrage is right.
Load More Replies...A lot of the comments I've read show a lack of public gardening knowledge. For example, in public gardens, tulips are treated as annuals and new bulbs are planted every year. After they're done blooming in spring, they're dug up, thrown away, and replaced with summer annuals. D.C. is warm enough to have winter annuals such as pansies and flowering kale.
Tulips grown in residential gardens last only a few seasons before they quit blooming. That is, if they survive being munched on by chipmunks and rabbits. I gave up tulips in favor of daffodils and narcissuses because they're poisonous to wildlife and they reproduce.
Load More Replies...The trees were crabapple trees and were blocking the sun from the flowers (roses) that depend on large amounts of light. The trees were transplanted elsewhere. The sidewalks were uneven and lopsided. The roses have been deadheaded (pruned) so that they may continue to grow.
And the bulbs have been removed so there's nary a crocus nor tulip to be found.
Load More Replies...Frankly, a few of these postings make fun of Trump (and Melania). This is fine. Many over-dramatically play the "I am oooof sooo offended" card. A garden re-design typically means removing stuff. Whether you like the new garden or not is a matter of personal choice. Interestingly, those people who are offended most probably do what helps Trump the most: taking unimportant topics as this as a decoy to get people wondering about the real issues.
I agree, this is a personal choice and you either like it or you don't. There are enough things to get outraged about atm without getting upset about a garden.
Load More Replies...Hope people understand the trees are in the greenhouse and not destroyed. And the rose bloom in May not August. So give it a season an see how it looks. Also it's nice there is pathways for disabled folks to use. Everyone hates on her for just trying to do a nice thing.
We have roses blooming now, and I'm a c**p gardener. And the trees are already shedding their leaves here
Load More Replies...I just read more into this and this is what I found. Every administration has done some sort of change to the garden, it is pretty much expected. The recent changes include better drainage system for healthier plants, and for the first time, access for the physically impaired. The crabapple trees which were removed were replanted elsewhere on the property. Melania does prefer pastel colors so the scheme may not be as vibrant as prior, but it is worth noting that most of the flowers were just planted, and anyone who knows anything about flowers knows that it takes tome for the plants root systems to take hold, and only after that will it fully bloom. Furthermore, the before pictures were taken in spring (tulips bloom only in spring), which adds a tremendous amounof color which wouldn't be showing now
I do not like the Trumps. I am simply pointing out how blinded people have willingly become. You can see only want you allow yourself to see.
Load More Replies...The tulips and trees were a mess, now the columns and the building look way better, why hide them? And no, I do not like Trump, or his wife, but this garden is simply modern, and not half bad.
I've seen the old version only in photos on this page - but that did look like the typical amateur garden: just plant what ever you can find at a discount in the local garden center. I guess there were emotional and historical values with the old one. But this new version fits the location better. The White house is not a friendly, cuddly place. One of the places where the world's future is decided. This new garden echoes that nicely.
Load More Replies...Yes, I do think sidewalks were needed for the disabled, but even then, why have the sidewalks if there isn't any color to look at??
I dislike Trump as much as the next person, but not only does the sidewalk make the garden more accessible to folks in wheelchairs, those flower bulbs in the first colorful photo bloom in March. It's currently August. Be careful you're not also downsizing the importance of accessibility in the name of dissing Trump.
with a lot of news and coverage of the white house, I have still yet to see all the wheelchairs lined up to roll out into the gardens ... just how many handicapped people are there these days, visiting the white house - after all, most of the tours have been stopped, there is razor-wire and hurricane fences around it all, and with tourists from around the world being warned off visiting the US in the first place ... I guess even the handicapped need and want to see a Plague Memorial at some point
Load More Replies...Everyone offended by the new look... don't visit any formal Italian gardens. you'll be massively offended.
Bored Panda, is my favorite program, I like to make comments, however, I have never felt so miserable, and left nasty comments, but true to my feelings, I look forward, in time to hear about, positive changes to the garden, take a deep breath, hope for better !!!
I’d be fine with it as long as they kept the spirit of Jackie’s garden. I don’t think it’d be hard to find volunteers or even hire someone to keep maintenance on the sidewalks and the crabapple trees. Sure, Melania may have met the ADA’s requirements, but in a way that undermined the importance and beauty of the original garden.
Since Biden is going to be President, I hope he and his wife will be able to re-plant everything the Trumps tore down. Maybe it won't be easy, but no great feat ever is.
i think Ms.Melania has a great taste in fashion. Her dresses are beautiful, for the most part. As much as i hate this new garden, as long as she likes it who am i to judge? Doesnt mean this is one of the most hideous things i have ever seen. Could b uglier than my backyard, which is nothing but dust and weeds. Wait. It is uglier than my backyard.
It's a garden. Americans are always fighting the wrong battles- no wonder nothing changes!
My parents moved 39 years ago. We had a very straight, very tall maple tree in the back yard. I moved out of state 40 years ago. Every year since then, when I go back to visit, I drive down that street to make sure that maple tree is still there. I was unable, because of Covid, to check on the tree this year.
Why has Bored Panda now gone so negative. I read this because I usually enjoy non-political items. This was all Political. Please no more.
For those wanting to 'get the facts straight', this may be a useful read. But do it quickly as 45 is bound to want to rewrite it asap: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-kennedys-rose-garden
The gorgeous vivid tulips would last only a few weeks or a month. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-kennedys-rose-garden
If Michelle Obama had done this exact thing everyone would be gushing over it and there would be a TV special about how wonderful it is. I hope one day we can move beyond the emotional maturity of jr highers.
I don't think the hedges and beds etc are so bad. They are quite elegant and I like the cluster of round shrubs. But what madperson cuts down mature trees on a property they only live at for four years? (Hopefully). What kind of landscaping design firm even suggests this??
They didn't cut them down. They transplanted them to another on premise location.
Load More Replies...Ok remember the old garden was not ADA compliant for Wheel Chair and disabled accessibility, now it is. 2) The old Rose Garden was dead 4 months of out the year, the new layout and plant choices ensure there will be bloom and flowers all 12 months of the year. Plus the allergen flowers were moved to side places, making it easier for people with allergies to enjoy it.3) Even the WaPo editorial board admitted this was a positive step and needed badly. 4)This is just anti-Trump people trying to fake outrage because "Trump" without even bothering to care about disabled people getting access or year round bloom, etc. Really exposes the frauds out there
Rose - JFK's mother - is who the garden was named after, not the particular flower necessarily.
Load More Replies...You and comment and insult anything but DO NOT INSULT CHINA😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
Where are the roses in this Rose Garden? Pruned, some say. The rose season is over. Well, I don't know what type of roses were planted earlier, but I can tell you that in Great-Britain, we have a huge variety of roses that bloom from June to late October, come in all colours, and have a delicate perfume to boot. Melania seems to have confined her taste to white roses. A bit dull, to say the least. Very disappointing.
Wait I got it, this was done all in preparation for it to be the backdrop for the final night if the convention. 100% that oath is for some reason and the tress probably had to go so people could see Trump. Let's see on Thursday. His vanity and distraction for his own mean has no bottom
Which is clearly illegal (Hatch Act violation) - a civil servant cannot use government property for political events.
Load More Replies...The busybodies of the internet were never going to be happy with any changes. They hullaballoo'd over Michelle Obama's sleeveless dress too.
Well, one can only hope the next First Lady plants some nice mature trees and colourful flowerbeds. And add some bee hives to make up for this bleak cemetery. Should be an awesome place to sit and have a cup of tea! Malaria will be gone sometime...
This is such a sad ploy by liberals. There is nothing to see here folks, do your research!
Kathryn Baylis chill out! It is really a personal decision, how is it at all political!
Good, it's extremely ugly, boring and shows that she has NO Taste. what a twat
Any American that votes for Trump is voting for this. Lets hope EVERY American has learned their lesson and won't make this mistake again
*shush* ... you just keep drinking you party's kool-aid and save those little face-pillows for all the evil they are going to come up with later on in life
Load More Replies...Jackie O destroyed Edith Roosevelt's 1902 colonial garden to create the Rose Garden.
Load More Replies...They had more than just tulips planted there. It was full of an ever-blooming array of colorful bulbs, making it cheery. I tend to straddle between both parties, depending on the issue, so for me this is just sad because they didn't need to completely uproot everything.
Load More Replies...If you think people here are only talking about a garden and not about politics, I don't think you're really reading the comments. Or, you're choosing to ignore the ones that don't support your agenda. I'm a middle of the road person, don't particularly like Trump, but these comments are nasty, and vicious, and have an awful lot to do with politics.
Load More Replies..."word is"? Maybe, but the FACT IS it was not paid by taxpayers but by private donors. Just another DNS/Chinese talking point lie. The American people deserve an investigation of Biden/Chinese collusion!
Load More Replies...The fools who aren't upset are also mentally unstable. There, I fixed it for you.
Load More Replies...Your points are valid, and I agree, but being offensive only strengthens their resolve. There is a better way to prove a point.
Load More Replies...