What White House Gardens Say about America
The earliest presidents who lived in the White House did not want the large outdoor areas that the monarchs of Europe might enjoy.
Marta McDowell is writer of All the Presidents’ Gardens. She said, “You can understand that, given our democratic form of government.” But she said she thinks that a visit to the home of the British royal family, Buckingham Palace, caused President John Kennedy to expand the White House gardens.
From the start, presidents and their families influenced the 7.2 hectares of open space in the front and back of the White House differently. Their choices often showed their values and traditions of their day.
McDowell said that the White House is “really their home” while they are in office. She added that as long as they work with the historic plan of the gardens the National Park Service tries to meet the desires of the administration. The National Park Service oversees the gardens.
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