Overview

• Workers began paving over sections of the Rose Garden lawn on June 9 to create a more stable surface for press conferences and official events.
• The renovation builds on Melania Trump’s 2020 redesign, which aimed to restore Bunny Mellon’s original layout and improve drainage.
• Additional upgrades include audio-visual systems and two 100-foot flagpoles on the North and South Lawns, with the flagpoles financed personally by President Trump.
• The National Park Service is carrying out the work with funding from the Trust for the National Mall, and the project is expected to finish by mid-August 2025.
• Critics previously challenged Melania Trump’s botanical choices, but White House officials say the current modifications will preserve the garden’s historic character.