Melania Trump Says White House Rose Garden Will Be Renovated

President Donald Trump (C), First Lady Melania Trump (R) and their son Barron Trump (L) return to the White House after two weeks spent at Trump's golf club in New Jersey on Aug. 18, 2019. Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images

First Lady Melania Trump on Monday said the White House Rose Garden will be renovated.

“The very act of planting a garden involves hard work and hope in the possibility of a bright future,” the first lady said in a statement. “Preserving the history and beauty of the White House and its grounds is a testament to our nation’s commitment to the care of this landscape and our dedication to American ideals, safeguarding them for our children and their children for generations to come.”

The renovation plans were approved by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, which is supported by the U.S. National Park Service. The plans will also be privately funded via donations, according to a statement from the White House.

President Donald Trump arrives for the daily briefing on the Chinese Communist Party virus in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on April 14, 2020. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

The Rose Garden will be redesigned to more closely resemble the original 1962 design that was set up by Rachel Lambert Mellon during former President John F. Kennedy’s administration. But the new renovations will include better drainage, new plants, and better accessibility.

The first lady, in a Twitter statement, wrote that “even in the most difficult times, the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden has stood as a symbol of strength & continuity,” adding: “Today, it is my pleasure to announce our plans to renew & restore this iconic space so that we preserve its history & beauty for generations to come.”

According to the White House, the Rose Garden’s renovation will occur over the summer.

“Decades of use and necessary changes made to support the modern presidency have taken a toll on the garden and have made it more difficult to appreciate the elegant symmetry of the Mellon plan,” the statement added.