President John Quincy Adams rose with the sun, not only to fulfill the duties of the executive office, but to plant expansive plots of flowers. During his time in the White House, Adams reportedly installed more than a thousand plants, beginning a tradition of green-thumbed presidents and first ladies adding their stamp to the 52-acre property.

As autumn sets in, this Saturday and Sunday the White House will open its storied grounds, inviting visitors to feast their eyes on flourishes and foliage steeped in history.

Biannual garden tours have been a White House tradition since Pat Nixon first welcomed visitors to the property in 1972, exposing a rich narrative of design. The public-facing Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and Rose Garden were redesigned under the Kennedy administration with American gardening and design idol Rachel “Bunny” Mellon. President Franklin Roosevelt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted reworked the South Lawn, which continues to host staff barbecues and egg-rolling contests on Easter Monday. And just five years ago, First Lady Michelle Obama replanted the White House Kitchen Garden—a take on Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden—with herbs, fruits, and vegetables that supply the presidential family, state dinners, and a local charity.

This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required; whitehouse.gov

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