Man with green thumb has White House ties
, Richmond News Staff
02-17-2010
Anyone who knows Bosh Bruening, knows a man inside the White House … kind of.
More accurately, anyone who is familiar with the Higginsville native, third-generation plant nurseryman and co-founder of learn2grow.com understands a great deal about someone who knows a lot about what’s just outside the White House walls.
If those walls could talk, Bruening actually might not take much more than a passing interest. He might be too occupied conversing with the lush crab-apple trees and wisteria that dot the White House grounds.
That’s the sort of company that befits a man whose planting influence and know-how holds a place on the White House lawn beside trees planted by sitting American presidents.
Holding that distinction, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that Bruening sees the little individual footprint so much White House-lawn and garden greenery leaves to remember so many past presidents by. His pictures and story tell a story behind the lush landscaping millions see not up close and personal the way Bruening has, but often over Wolf Blitzer’s shoulder during a live CNN remote update.
Bruening knows things about that same green backdrop just over Blitzer’s shoulder that put its perfection into perspective. White House Superintendent of Grounds Irvin Williams retired in April 2009 at 83 after presiding over 1600 Pennsylvania’s grounds since the Truman Administration, Bruening said.
How tight a ship did Williams run? Well . . .
“There are 17 acres of grass inside the White House grounds. They mow it all with walk-behind mowers,” Bruening said. “Williams said as long as he was there, there would be no riding mowers in the White House. About 10 years ago, John Deere gave them a really nice riding mower. He gave it to the National Arboretum in front of the Capital Building.”
He’s walked along the jogging path Bill Clinton installed, hoping the softer surface might take a little more mercy on his knees.
Bruening came across his door to the White House’s appreciation in its famous Rose Garden – the same place presidents have met the press, greeted dignitaries and conquering sports heroes and sometimes taken a mind-clearing stroll.
Years ago, Bruening told now-Superintendent of Grounds Dale Haney he was thankful for the tour but “disappointed” with the garden itself. He recommended that the groundskeeper at the world’s most famous address consider roses from Jackson & Perkins Roses, then Bruening’s employer.
“That was nearly 20 years ago,” Bruening said. “Every year, I arrange for 150 to 300 roses a year for the Rose Garden and they treat them like annuals . . . They plant them, then at the end of the year, they yank them out and plant something else.”
Meanwhile, because the Clintons were fond of entertaining guests, Bruening also arranges yearly for around 100 potted tree roses that could be wheeled in and out of the tents Bill and Hillary Clinton would arrange for parties on the White House lawn.
The White House lawn’s magnolia soulangiana tree was planted by John F. Kennedy in 1962, Bruening said. The American elm tree Barbara Bush planted during her husband’s administration replaced an ailing American elm John Quincy Adams originally planted. A Magnolia Granda Flora was originally planted by Andrew Jackson in 1830 and stands strong today – even after holding a crashed plane pinned against the White House, Bruening said.
On the White House grounds, 43 of the 500-odd trees represent each president.
The Kennedy family left plenty of permanent forget-me-nots during the JFK years, Bruening said. They had a pool installed to help the president cope with his World War II back injury’s lingering, life-long pain. Jacqueline Kennedy had a hedge added on the back lawn so on-lookers couldn’t watch one of her favorite pastimes: bouncing on a big trampoline.
Bruening isn’t Missouri’s only White House connection. Over the last decade, Schmitt Tree Farms of Holt has been selected multiple times from farms nationwide to supply the annual 18-foot White House Christmas tree.
Most recently, around three years ago, Bruening had a close brush with the presidency.
“We were in Dale Haney’s office at the time and he said ‘We need to go outside, because he is leaving’,” Bruening said. It’s a strict rule in White House that the President is always called “he” and the first lady “she” and never their actual names, Bruening explained.
President George W. Bush entered one of two helicopters stationed outside. After several minutes sitting stationary with rotors rotating, it became apparent the helicopter wouldn’t be taking off immediately.
As he walked toward a presidential limousine, Bush shook hands with the 10 or so White House staff members standing outside. He said to Bruening, “Good morning.”
What does one say at a moment like that?
You say nothing, or you say ‘Good morning’,” Bruening said. “I got the ‘good morning’ out, then he moved on to the person next to me.”
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Of note: Bruening recalls being told veteran White House personnel consider Wolf Blitzer the “hardest working man in the White House,” for his constant White House presence and ability to film his own reports periodically without a camera crew to set up his equipment.
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