Each spring, the White House grounds bloom not just with flowers and tree blossoms but also with the legacy of those who shaped them – and with opportunities to step into living history.

From the earliest days of the republic to the present, White House spring traditions, like the grounds themselves, have been shaped by the vision of presidents and first ladies, renowned landscape architects and generations of dedicated gardeners.

Throughout the 1800s, the Executive Mansion’s grounds were largely an extension of the presidential family’s household operations. In a nation still dominated by family farms, the early White House lawns looked a lot like many other household yards, with laundry hanging, dairy cows and sheep grazing, and food growing to supply the kitchen.

Presidents gradually began using the White House’s outdoor spaces for more public ceremonies and gatherings. Today, the grounds surrounding 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have become as iconic as the rooms and furnishings inside, especially at the moment when winter gives way to warmer weather.

President Thomas Jefferson was the first to devise a landscaping plan for the White House grounds. He envisioned a sweeping lawn with tree-lined promenades, though his plan was only partially implemented. Two decades later, in the 1820s, President John Quincy Adams, an avid horticulturist, spent a considerable amount of time with White House gardener John Ousley, learning and setting the stage for the lush gardens we know today.

For decades,

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