Children’s National’s rooftop healing garden opens

Starting this Friday, all children receiving treatment at the Children's National, the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington, D.C., will be able to enjoy a 7,200-square-foot rooftop garden, called the National Bunny Mellon Healing Garden.

This garden is dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States for their long tradition of supporting Children’s National and also to Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, who was a philanthropist and the horticulturist behind the White House Rose Garden.

According to a press release, D.C.-based CoStar Group’s CEO and employees donated $2.1 million to the project, which is the largest, employee-supported philanthropic effort in the company’s history.

The need to create a safe outdoor space for patients began approximately four years ago when one former patient requested to go outside. Unfortunately, this was a difficult undertaking at the time. Now, any patient with this wish is able to freely roam the green oasis as the space is equipped with electrical outlets to power treatments and therapies.

• Rooftop Healing Garden Renderings Revealed for Children's National [Curbed DC]