Michelle Obama wants one thing set in stone before she leaves the White House — her beloved garden.
The first lady has already taken steps to preserve her fruitful green space, purchasing a stone plaque for it with the inscription, “WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN GARDEN established in 2009 by First Lady Michelle Obama with the hope of growing a healthier nation for our children.”
But she’s not stopping there — wielding the power she has over the president to ensure the Kitchen Garden is a permanent part of the White House.
“She is pressing him to pass an executive order to maintain the garden after they leave the White House,” a source told The Post.
Obama’s expansive garden, which grew from 1,100 square feet to 2,800 square feet under her leadership, has served as a centerpiece of her “Let’s Move” campaign to end childhood obesity.
She has spent the final months of her tenure in the White House working on preserving the garden to ensure it doesn’t get scrapped by her husband’s successor — securing $2.5 million in private donations to maintain it, widening the walking paths and adding a wooden arbor entryway.
“This little garden will live on as a symbol of the hopes and dreams we all hold of growing a healthier nation for our children,” Obama said at an Oct. 5 dedication ceremony. “I am hopeful that future first families will cherish this garden like we have, and that it will become one of our enduring White House traditions.”
The Obamas have used the garden as a way to break bread with foreign leaders — serving state dinners with foods grown in their backyard, sharing a box of seeds with Pope Francis when the president visited the Vatican, and giving honey from the White House’s first beehive as gifts to visitors.
New first families often make changes to White House property to feel at home, but generally try to respect tradition and not overtly defy their predecessor. An exception was Ronald Reagan, who removed the solar panels Jimmy Carter had installed, according to “All the Presidents’ Gardens” author Marta McDowell.
“Is there any more tradition-rich 18 acres in the entire country?” McDowell said of the White House. “This is the first garden for the country. Just like we wouldn’t paint the White House another color, I think that we should maintain this tradition of honor and respect.”