The Planting of the Four Kennedy Saucer Magnolias

This photograph, taken in April 1962, captures the transplantation of a saucer magnolia in the Rose Garden on the White House Grounds. The Rose Garden, located on the South Grounds just outside the Oval Office, underwent a redesign from 1962 to 1963 under the guidance of landscape designer Rachel Lambert Mellon and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. In total, four saucer magnolias were transported from the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. to the Rose Garden. The redesign of the Rose Garden included the addition of new steps just outside the Oval Office, transforming the area into President John F. Kennedy's vision of a smaller, ceremonial location for formal events that would shorten White House traditions while maintaining a high level of prestige.