The White House in Bloom

Harvest in preparation for the State Dinner at the White House for the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C., 2012. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Girl with wheelbarrow, White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

National Park Service staffer harvests spring crops in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park Service staffer harvests beets in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Garden path in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Kitchen staff harvest crops in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Summer harvest in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

White House Chef Sam Kass harvests radishes from the White House Kitchen Garden for a Congressional Spouses Luncheon, Washington, D.C., 2009. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Jim Adams, of the National Park Service, harvests spring crops in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House,Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Jim Adams, of the National Park Service, carries a box of vegetables harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Ed Thomas, a National Park Service groundskeeper, waters plants on the Blue Room Balcony of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

A National Park Service groundskeeper removes plants and flowers and replaces them with new ones on the South Grounds of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

A National Park Service groundskeeper puts in new plants on the North Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Kevin Harris, a National Park Service painter, works on the South Ground of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Stanley Dufrane, a National Park Service groundskeeper, cleans columns at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Tom Geer, a National Park Service groundskeeper, mows the grass outside of the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Groundskeepers roll out a red carpet in preparation for the State Arrival ceremony for Mexico at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2010. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Tom Geer, a National Park Service groundskeeper, works on the South Lawn at the White House,  Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park Service groundskeepers work on removing an American Beech tree that came down in a storm on the South Grounds of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Herb tags prepared for the White House Kitchen Garden, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park Service groundskeepers harvest spring crops in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany tour the White House Kitchen Garden with Executive Chef Cris Comerford on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2014. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

A National Park Service groundskeeper harvests spring crop in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

A group of school children and White House kitchen staff visit the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Adam Collick, Executive Steward walks toward the White House with a harvest of fennel and lettuce for a dinner in the Old Family Dining Room, Washington, D.C., 2009. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Sam Kass teach Bancroft School students about planting a garden, Washington, D.C., 2009. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Beekeepers work in the White House beehives on the South Grounds of the White House, Washington, D.C. ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Beekeeper Charlie Brandts and Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison work with the beehive on the South Grounds of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Bee on clover, South Grounds of the White House, Washington, D.C. ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Beekeeper Charles Brandts removes a swarm of Honey Bees nested near one of the front gates at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2009. Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images.

National Park Service groundskeeper Ton Geer waters plants in the Rose Garden, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park Service groundskeeper Ron Brady works on the South Lawn at the White House,  Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park Service groundskeeper Ed Thomas works in the Rose Garden of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

View of the Rose Garden at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. Matthew D'Agostino/White House Historical Association. 

Magnolia Tree, Rose Garden at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. Matthew D'Agostino/White House Historical Association.

President Barack Obama crosses the White House Rose Garden with a flowering tree, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Oval Office Valet Raymond Rogers carries a glass of water toward the White House Rose Garden, Washington, D.C., 2011. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

President Barack Obama walks through the Rose Garden of the White House with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Washington, D.C., 2011. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

A blooming tree in a corner of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2023. Matthew D'Agostino/White House Historical Association.

A National Park Service groundskeeper stands on a ladder on the White House grounds, Washington, D.C., 2009. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Kevin Tennyson, a National Park Service groundskeeper, maintains the First Lady's Garden at the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Lilies bloom in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, or the East Garden, of the White House grounds,  Washington, D.C., 2015. Matthew D'Agostino/White House Historical Association.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden showing the garden looking west towards the South Portico of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. Matthew D'Agostino/White House Historical Association.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden showing the pergola, designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, Washington, D.C., 2015. Bruce White/White House Historical Association.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden looking west towards the South Portico of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. Bruce White/White House Historical Association.

National Park Service groundskeepers harvest spring crops in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., 2015. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

Garlic, White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Students near the lettuce patch of the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Bo the dog on a path in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

A kitchen staffer harvests vegetables in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

National Park District groundskeepers clean up the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

First Lady Michelle Obama joins students for the spring planting in the White House Kitchen Garden Washington, D.C., 2012. National Archives, Obama Presidential Library.

National Park District groundskeepers planting in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

A child working in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.

Clean up in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., ca. 2011. © Quentin Bacon.