News
Featured Image
First Lady Melania Trump.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

PETITION: No to radical mandatory mask mandates! Sign the petition here.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 25, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — American first lady Melania Trump dedicated a rose to Saint John Paul II in the newly redesigned White House Rose Garden in honor of the pope’s 1979 visit.

On August 22, after three weeks of renovations, Melania Trump unveiled the White House Rose Garden. 

The Catholic News Agency reported that in the newly redesigned garden, a white tea rose cultivar was dedicated to Pope John Paul II in honor of his first papal visit to the White House four decades ago. This rose is said to be among the most fragrant of rose cultivars, with large white blossoms.

“Excited to honor history & celebrate the future in our beautiful @WhiteHouse Rose Garden this evening,” Melania tweeted on Saturday. “Thank you to all who helped renew this iconic & truly gorgeous space.”

The renovation, funded by private donations, was necessary because of drainage issues, plant disease, and some plants lacking needed sunlight as a result of being in the shade of a large willow oak tree. These problems have been reportedly fixed in the newly designed garden.

The Rose Garden, first designed and planted in 1913 by First Lady Ellen Wilson, is about 1,700 square feet, sitting outside the Oval Office. In 1961, a renovation was overseen by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Two other significant roses planted in the garden redesign are the JFK rose cultivar and the Peace rose.

On Tuesday, Melania Trump will speak to the Republican National Convention from the Rose Garden.