I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

If you're of my generation, you may recall this 1970 hit song by Lynn Anderson, "Rose Garden" ...

Speaking of rose gardens ...

The White House Rose Garden was first created by First Lady Edith Roosevelt in 1903 as a colonial-style garden, and various aspects of its design were changed over the years by various inhabitants of the White House. The plan with the large central grass lawn was created by Rachel Lambert Mellon in 1962 at the request of President Kennedy, and the latest redesign was undertaken by First Lady Melania Trump in 2020. 

The Rose Garden is in the news once again as Der Furor continues his makeover of the White House campus by paving over much of the existing garden. His stated reason is that the grass of the lawn area is easily damaged by foot traffic during events held in the Rose Garden, and that ladies' high-heels sink into the turf and create a tripping hazard. The actual reason, of course, is Der Furor's desire for an entertainment and event patio similar to the one on which he holds court at Mar-a-Lago - 

The makeover of the Rose Garden lawn was recently completed, and the patio area now looks like this* - 

You may notice a couple of things about this photo. First, there are no roses in evidence ... they're there, but the focus is on the paved expanse rather than the flowers. Second, the presidential seal appears at each corner. It is, of course, the president's patio, but making the seal a part of the decor seems to me to be a little gilding of the lily. And third, note that the drainage ports are in the shape of American flags - a probably-unintended allusion to the fact that, under the "leadership" of Der Furor and the GOP, the country is going down the drain.

Here's another view of the new patio**, with the new ice cream parlor-style tables and umbrellas in place - 

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather a rose garden highlight roses rather than pavement.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* The style has been called "Noveau Brutalism."

** Photo from CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins' Twitter post.