Please note that the following is a digitized version of a selected article from White House History Quarterly, Issue 65, originally released in print form in 2022. Single print copies of the full issue can be purchased online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All photographs contained in this journal unless otherwise noted are copyrighted by the White House Historical Association and may not be reproduced without permission. Requests for reprint permissions should be directed to rights@whha.org. Contact books@whha.org for more information. © 2022 White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions.
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OPPOSITE: WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / TOP: JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Fifty Years Devoted to the WHITE HOUSE Gardens & Grounds The Career of Dale Haney, Superintendent of the White House Grounds ma rc i a m allet ander s o n w i t h dale h aney
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previous spread
Superintendent of the White House Grounds Dale Haley stands in the West Colonnade near the flower beds of the Rose Garden, 2020 (left), and tends to flowers displayed outside the Oval Office, 1979. left
Dale Haney at work in the Rose Garden during the presidency of Jimmy Carter, spring 1979.
MARCIA ANDERSON: How did you happen to come to work at the White House? DALE HANEY: In early 1972 I was working in the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks doing an internship after receiving my degree in horticulture from Sandhills College in Pinehurst, North Carolina.The people I was working with received a call from the White House to let them know they needed help in the garden and they asked me if I would be interested. I said yes and I went to the White House for an interview with Irvin Williams and Bill Ruback, the
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head White House gardener and his assistant. Six months later I accepted the job as a gardener with the National Park Service. Over the years, I moved from the job of gardener to foreman and then to chief horticulturalist. In 2008, I became superintendent of the White House Grounds, a position with the White House Residence itself. What is it about working at the White House that has kept you here for fifty years? When I accepted the job I agreed to stay for two years. I expected to go back to school to continue to study horticulture. But time has gone by so fast that it really doesn’t feel like fifty years. We are always so busy preparing for something, moving quickly from concluding one event to preparing the Grounds for the next, that it has been easy to forget that time is passing. It is never boring—no day is ever the same and every day brings challenges—whether it be a State Arrival Ceremony, the Easter Egg Roll, a Garden Tour, a Congressional Picnic, a bill signing or press conference in the Rose Garden, or the swearing in ceremony for a Supreme Court justice.
JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
dale haney, superintendent of the white house grounds, has devoted the last half century to caring for the 18 acres within the White House fence. Presidential history has unfolded here since for more than 230 years, since George Washington personally chose the site for the President’s House. This spring Dale shared memories of his career with Marcia Anderson, editor of White House History Quarterly; their conversation follows. Many of the photographs published here were captured by Dale himself, from his unique vantage point in the garden.
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JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Dale Haney is seen at work on a bed of chrysanthemums in the Rose Garden, fall 1978.
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Yellow flowers were used to embellish the South Portico during the Arrival Ceremony for Pope Francis, 2015. Yellow and white are the official papal colors.
There have been many, many State Arrival Ceremonies for leaders from all over the world during my years at the White House. I was here when the Arrival Ceremonies were held for Queen Elizabeth II in 1976, 1991, and 2007. I was also here for the only three visits the pope has made to the White House: Pope John Paul II in 1979, Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, and Pope Francis in 2015. Knowing that yellow and white are the official colors of the papacy, we used yellow flowers in place of the usual red on the South Portico for Pope Francis’s Arrival Ceremony. Presidents often hold press conferences in the Rose Garden or bill signings on the South Lawn. In 1979 President Carter hosted the signing of a
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peace treaty on the North Lawn between Egypt and Israel. At that time Pennsylvania Avenue was still open to traffic. During the Clinton presidency there was a series of outdoor sculpture exhibits in the East Garden. Another memorable event was in 2009, when President Obama hosted what became known as a “beer summit,” to help diffuse a clash over an incident in Massachusetts. In 2009 First Lady Michelle Obama created the White House Kitchen Garden on the west side of the lower South Lawn, which continues to be planted today. I have also seen the Children’s Garden grow and evolve. It was created by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson in 1969 and ever since has been paved with stones containing handprints made by every president’s grandchildren. We recently added the handprints of President Biden’s grandchildren. You have said that every day is different, but do you also have a daily routine? After I arrive in the morning I go to the Oval Office to tend to the office plants and the ivy on the fireplace mantel. I want to be sure the plants are watered and healthy before the president arrives at his desk. Then I walk the Grounds, inside the fence line, to look for fallen branches or any damage that might have happened overnight. From there, I turn my attention to the events on the day’s calendar.
GETTY IMAGES
It is not unusual for White House employees to stay for twenty, thirty, or even forty years, but this year, when you mark your fifty years of service, you will join the much shorter list of those who have witnessed more than half a century of White House history. You were here when President Nixon departed from the South Grounds by helicopter after his resignation in 1974, when a small plane crashed into the South Lawn in 1994, when the White House was evacuated on 9/11, and during the COVID lockdowns of 2020. The gardens you oversee are in a sense a national stage—a backdrop for history as it unfolds. Could you tell us about some of the memorable events you have witnessed?
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BRUCE WHITE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE HISTORICA L A SS OCIATION
The White House Children’s Garden, a gift from President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson to the White House, is paved with stones containing casts of the handprints of presidents’ grandchildren.
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Work goes on 365 days a year. I oversee the work of the National Park Service’s full-time staff of gardeners, maintenance workers, electricians, and plumbers. In the spring, summer, and fall the grass is mowed weekly, and we trim twice a week. In the fall we do turf renovation, which includes thatching, aerification, seeding, and fertilizing. We also do aerification after large events like the Easter Egg Roll to prevent compaction. The flower beds are regularly replanted with seasonal flowers in different schemes. Each spring eight-thousand tulips are planted around the fountains. In the summer geraniums are planted in the flower boxes under the North Portico and on the South Portico. The Rose Garden and the East Garden are planted for spring, summer, and fall. The dead wood is regularly removed from the trees and after storms we clear away fallen trees and branches. Wind storms, ice storms, heavy rains, and snows leave damage behind that must be seen to. We also work to stage events with plants; ferns, for example, are set out for press conferences.
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T O P : A P I M A G E S / B O T T O M : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
As superintendent of the White House Grounds you are responsible for the large operation that maintains the lawns and keeps the trees healthy. What is involved?
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opposite
Roses and topiaries are delivered to the Rose Garden. right clockwise from top
C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N /A P I M A G E S / A L A M Y
Chrysanthemums are delivered to the South Grounds for fall planting; dead branches are removed from a tree on the North Lawn; the Rose Garden is mowed.
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A few years ago you helped us with another issue of the Quarterly, which focused on wildlife and the White House Grounds. Could you tell us about the animals you encounter on the Grounds?
A rabbit crosses the Rose Garden outside the Oval Office; a black squirrel enjoys fallen nuts, while a gray squirrel feasts on acorns under the trees on the South Grounds.
R A B B I T : G E T T Y I M A G E S / S Q U I R R E L S : M A R T I N R A D I G A N F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
With 18 acres of gardens in the middle of a busy city, the grounds are a natural refuge for wildlife. As you would expect we have lots of squirrels and song birds. The hummingbirds love the flowers in the Rose Garden, and I regularly see hawks perching on the high branches of the Jackson Magnolia. We also have bats and rabbits and foxes and, on occasion, even a few deer. I remember that President Reagan used to bring acorns back from Camp David to feed the squirrels.
clockwise from top left:
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H AW K : G E T T Y I M A G E S / B O T T O M B I R D S : M A R T I N R A D I G A N F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
A hawk soars low across the South Lawn; and colorful summer flowers welcome a hummingbird, honey bee, and a sparrow.
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Are you involved in selecting the Christmas Tree for the White House Blue Room? Yes. The National Christmas Tree Association hosts a national contest, at which growers and consumers vote to decide which the grower will provide the official White House Christmas Tree. For many years I have made a trip out to winning tree grower’s farm to select the tree to be placed in the Blue Room. The tree has to fit the space in the center of the Blue Room perfectly. It must be exactly 18∏ feet high to just touch the ceiling of the room. It must be 10 to 12 feet wide. I look for a perfect shape and layering between the branches. I have visited tree farms across the country. The growers are always proud to supply the White House tree, and when I arrive at the winning tree farm the local press is often on hand to cover the story on the selection of the tree. When the tree is delivered to the White House by a horse-drawn wagon, the first lady accepts it under the North Portico, signaling the beginning of the Christmas season. The tree is then carried into the house by the National Park Service and I am also on hand to oversee its placement in the Blue Room.
Dale Haney, far right, poses with tree growers in West Virginia in front of the 2020 Christmas Tree. left
The 2016 Blue Room Christmas Tree is delivered by horse-drawn wagon. Once the first lady accepts the tree under the North Portico, the holiday season officially begins.
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T O P : N A T I O N A L C H R I S T M A S T R E E A S S O C I AT I O N / B O T T O M : G E T T Y I M A G E S
above
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National Park Service staff move the 2019 Christmas Tree into the White House through the North Door. below
BOTH IMAGES THIS SPREAD: WHITE HOUSE PHOTO
Dale Haney joins in the group effort to position the heavy 18½ foot tree in the Blue Room.
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WHITE HOUSE PHOTO
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TOP LEF T: ALAMY / TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF DALE HANEY
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First Lady Pat Nixon, seen at left guiding children through the Rose Garden, hosted the first White House Garden Tour. Her handwritten thank you note to Dale Haney expressed her appreciation for his work to make the event a success. opposite
Children and their parents fill the South Lawn to participate in the many activities set up for the 2010 Easter Egg Roll.
Does your job also involve preparing for the annual Easter Egg Roll?
Why do you think the Garden Tours are important?
Yes, we start working to set up the Easter Egg Roll ten to twelve days before it begins. It is a big production, which draws approximately twenty-thousand people who participate in activities throughout the grounds.
Every president has walked these Grounds and I think every American should have the chance to experience the Grounds as well. George Washington did not live in the White House, but he selected its location. Franklin Roosevelt, who came to the White House in a wheelchair as president, had walked the Grounds as assistant secretary of the navy before World War I. It was the ideas of many presidents and their love for these Grounds that shaped these acres into what they are today. They worked with landscape architects, such as Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., whose plan we continue to follow, and they planted trees and gardens here, decided where the fences and roads would be, and at times kept horse stables and livestock. President Ford added a pool, President George H. W. Bush added a horseshoe pit, and President Carter even built a tree house here.
The annual spring and fall Garden Tours also draw many thousands of visitors to the White House Grounds. I believe the tradition began during the Nixon presidency. That’s right. Mrs. Nixon loved to share the gardens with the public and even took children on special tours of the Grounds herself. She opened the Grounds to the general public for the first Garden Tour during my first year at the White House, and now the tours are a tradition and generally occur during the spring and fall, although they were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What do you remember about that tree house? President Carter designed it himself for his daughter Amy. It was built within a cedar tree, which still lives on the South Grounds, but no nails went into the tree itself. Amy enjoyed it and used to have sleepovers in the tree house. Today the tree house is preserved in storage.
Amy Carter enjoys the tree house designed for her by her father on the South Lawn (above), 1978. Visitors tour the White House Grounds during a Garden Tour (below), 2010.
TOP: GETTY IMAGES / BOTTOM: AP IMAGES
Have the Garden Tours changed over time? During the first tours the president and first lady could mingle with the visitors and Julie Nixon Eisenhower even came out and signed visitors’ garden programs. Today the president and first lady often wave from the balcony. I have always attended and enjoy talking with visitors about the gardens and answering their questions. We also set up many exhibits along the paths to tell the story of the gardens and help answer their questions.
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CLOCKWISE: WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / AP IMAGES / WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / AP IMAGES
Julie Nixon Eisenhower (left) greets visitors and signs programs during one of the first Garden Tours, c. 1973. In recent years educational exhibits have been displayed along the paths during the Garden Tours. The sign below identifies the Japanese maple planted by First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 1978.
above and right
Dale Haney discusses the White House Kitchen Garden with visitors during a Garden Tour.
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The Garden Tour was a turning point for the grounds but more recently you have embraced another project, the Kitchen Garden. How did it come about? Mrs. Obama is an advocate for healthy eating, and she created the vegetable garden in 2009. She invited local schoolchildren to help her plant the garden, and it continues to thrive today. The vegetables are used by the White House chefs and have been shared with food banks. I remember your showing me the garden back in the late summer of 2016 when we were doing a photoshoot for the White House guidebook. It was much bigger than I imagined and contained such a large variety of vegetables. What are some of your favorites?
B O T H I M A G E S T H I S S P R E A D : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
It is 1,100 square feet, large enough for corn, beans, squash, and other fruits and vegetables. It also contains herb and pollinator gardens. I love the sun gold cherry tomatoes—it is great to stop and sample a few during a busy day.
left and above
The White House Kitchen Garden is seen from above, and a stone inscribed with a quotation from President Thomas Jefferson is displayed in the garden, 2019.
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T O P : A L A M Y / B O T T O M L E F T A N D R I G H T : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
Dale Haney (photo at left) looks on as First Lady Michelle Obama is joined by schoolchildren to break ground for the White House Kitchen Garden, 2009. Globe artichokes and herbs (below) can be found in the garden. The spring 2021 garden plan (opposite) illustrates the extent of the varieties planted in the 1,100 square foot garden.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
White House Kitchen Garden Spring 2021 Plan 1. Raspberry “Nova” 2. Peppermint Spearmint “Kentucky Colonel” 3. N/A 4. Broccoli “Belstar” Broccoli “Luna” 5. Strawberry “Tristar” (Everbearing) Strawberry “Tribute” (Everbearing) Strawberry “Allstar” (June bearing) 6. Mustard “Ruby Streaks” 7. Brussels Sprouts “Divino” 8. Parsley “Flat Italian” Lettuce “Alkindus” (border) 9. Leeks “Giant Musselburgh” Shallots “Matador” 10. Peas “Sugar Snap” Tatsoi Arugula Spinach “Bloomsdale Savoy” 11. Cabbage “Bobcat” Cabbage “Ruby Ball” 12. Lettuce “Trunchas” Lettuce “Arctic King”
13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Onion “Bridger” Onion “Rossa Di Milano” Onion “Sierra Blanca” Swiss Chard “Bright Lights” Lettuce “Tennis Ball” Lettuce “Marciano” 18. Kohlrabi “Early Purple Vienna” Kohlrabi “Early White Vienna” 19. Cauliflower “Synergy” Cauliflower “Graffiti” Cauliflower “Flame Star” Cauliflower “Veronica” 20. Radicchio “Fenice Castelfranco” 21. Broccoli “Express” Broccoli “Monty” 22. Thomas Jefferson Bed Peas “Blue-podded Capucijiner” Cabbage “Early Jersy Wakefield” Lettuce “Spotted Aleppo” Kale “Russian Red” Radish “Early Spotted Globe” Carrots “Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay” Beet “Early Blood Turnip-Rooted” Radish “China Rose Winter”
23. Herb Bed Rosemary “Arps” Chives Oregano English Thyme Salvia “Golden” Salvia “Tricolor” Lavender “Provence” 24. Thomas Jefferson Bed Sea Kale Artichoke “Globe” Onion “Red Wethersfield” Fennel “Florence” 25. Kale “Toscano” Kale “Dazzling Blue” 26. Chinese Cabbage “Wa Wa Tsai” 27. Pac Choi “Bopak” Pac Choi “Violetta” 28. Kale “Starbor” Kale “Casper” Kale “Redbor” 29. Collards “Flash” 30. Cut Flowers 31. Cut Flowers
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Over the years, you have helped the photographers shooting the Association’s books by identifying beautiful angles in the gardens and pointing out flowers at their peak. I remember your pointing out the Pat Nixon rose on a shoot more than twenty years ago, and staging the geraniums on the South Portico for our photograph of the Blue Room in 2010. More recently you’ve suggested we photograph the stunning view from the terrace outside the Oval Office. The Rose Garden was created by Bunny Melon for President Kennedy about ten years before you came to the White House, and in your fifty years of caring for it, you have seen it mature and evolve. Many of your own favorite photographs were taken here, too. What is special to you about the Rose Garden?
L E F T A N D B O T T O M R I G H T : M A R T I N R A D I G A N F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N / T O P R I G H T : D A L E H A N E Y
Today there are more than two hundred rose bushes of five, six, or seven different varieties in the garden, and they are beautiful.
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DALE HANEY
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You mentioned that many presidents have planted trees here. Could you tell us about that tradition?
We have a collection of special shovels, made from original White House wood, which are used by the presidents and first ladies to plant commemorative trees. After a tree is planted, a plaque documenting the date and species of tree as well as the person who planted it is added to the handle of the shovel.
Shovels made from original wood used to build the White House are used to plant the commemorative trees on the White House Grounds. Plaques inscribed with the details of each of each planting are added to the handles.
BRUCE WHITE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE HISTORICA L A SS OCIATION
Yes, the president and the first lady generally plant at least one, usually more, on the White House Grounds during their time in the White House. The trees are sometimes planted to commemorate an event or honor the victims of a tragedy. We follow the Olmsted Plan when selecting the types and location of the trees. The plan was created at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in 1935.
I have seen photographs of the shovels that are used. Could you tell us about the shovels?
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The species and placement of each new tree planted on the White House Grounds is determined by the 1935 Olmsted Plan. In keeping with the plan, President Jimmy Carter plants a little leaf linden (right) on the North Lawn, 1978. below
TOP: AP IMAGES / BOTTOM: GETTY IMAGES
President and Mrs. Bill Clinton plant a dogwood tree on the South Lawn in memory of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown who was killed in a plane crash in Croatia, 1996.
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The author of another article in this issue makes the point that Frederick Law Olmsted advised that the historic trees be retained and nurtured until their natural demise. Have you continued to follow that approach, and in your fifty years have you seen some of those older trees reach the end of their life?
Included in the list of the trees identified as historic by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1935, the Japanese maple on the South Lawn was planted by Frances Folsom Cleveland in 1893.
A L L P H O T O S T H I S S P R E A D : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
Yes. We have more than five-hundred trees and more than five-thousand shrubs on the grounds. Many trees are historic and predate the Olmsted Plan. The famous Jackson Magnolia, which was planted in
about 1832–34, is a good example of a historic tree that we continue to nurture. It is supported by cables, which are regularly checked and adjusted and dead wood is removed as necessary. We are also cultivating seedlings from this tree, which may one day be used to take its place near the South Portico if it succumbs to old age. I have seen older trees come down as well. The elm tree planted by President John Quincy Adams in about 1826 came down in 1991. A section of the tree is on display in the White House Visitor Center.
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Among the historic trees on the South Lawn are the Atlas cedar that once held Amy Carter’s tree house, and the famous Jackson Magnolia, seen here as broken branches are removed following a blizzard in 2010.
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Dale Haney is joined by Spot and Barney, President George W. Bush’s dogs, on the South Lawn, 2001. Spot, seen holding a tennis ball, was born at the White House in 1989; her mother was President George H.W. Bush’s dog Millie. opposite top
Sunny and Bo, the Obama’s dogs (left in 2016), often joined Dale Haney while he worked in the Kitchen Garden. Commander, seen with Dale Haney in 2022, joined the Biden family at the White House in 2021. opposite below
Although your half century of White House service has been devoted to the care of the presidents’ Grounds, the press often makes note of another aspect of your daily routine: caring for the presidents’ dogs. How did that come about? I love dogs, and, as the presidents can see, I’m always outside, so it just makes sense. I first walked King Timahoe, an Irish Setter, for President Nixon. Back then there were still dog kennels on the Grounds. My own dog, Amber, was one of the Liberty’s puppies. Liberty was the Golden Retriever who belonged to President Ford. The Carters, Reagans, and Clintons also had dogs. One of my favorite dogs was Spot, who was born in the White House to Millie, President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush’s Springer Spaniel. She was given to President George W. Bush and lived in the Texas Governor’s Mansion before coming back home
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to the White House in 2001. She was one who loved to chase tennis balls. During the Bush years I also took care of Barney and Miss Beasley. They kept us company in the Grounds whenever President and Mrs. Bush were busy. I recall you sometimes brought Barney and Mrs. Beasley out during tours. Yes the public loves the president’s dogs, and I’ve always been surprised that people sometimes seem more interested in the dogs than in the president! What dogs have you cared for more recently? The Obama’s Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny. And now I am starting to walk Commander, the Bidens’ German Shepherd.
MAGGIE KNAUS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE HISTORICA L A SS OCIATION
Dale Haney with Barney.
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T O P : B R U C E W H I T E F O R T H E W H I T E H O U S E H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N / B O T T O M : A L A M Y
They do sometimes tell me their favorite colors, and I remember that Mrs. Reagan wanted me to be sure to plant large—not small—red geraniums around the fountains and on the Truman Balcony so that they would make a bigger statement when seen from Marine One over the South Lawn. She also wanted tourists to enjoy the colorful flowers when viewing the White House from outside the fence.
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GETTY IMAGES
Do the presidents and first ladies come to you with personal requests for the garden?
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It is interesting that although you expected to return to your own studies after serving briefly at the White House, you instead made the historic Grounds your life’s work and now share your knowledge with others through interviews like this and the annual spring and fall Garden Tours. What do you hope our readers will learn from the story of your experience? I hope that everyone will put an annual Garden Tour on their to do list. Every American should take advantage of the opportunity to visit and enjoy the grounds where every president has walked and so much history has unfolded.
clockwise from opposite:
WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / DALE HANEY
The bright red begonias surrounding the south fountain are large enough to be seen from Marine One and enjoyed by tourists outside the fence; Dale points out landmarks in the garden to children attending the 2020 fall garden tour; and a view of the Rose Garden at dawn.
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