6 First Ladies Honored at D.C. Gala

WASHINGTON — Toasted by President Clinton, five former first ladies and Hillary Rodham Clinton attended a gala in their honor Wednesday night, a benefit for the National Garden.

Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter and Barbara Bush attended the $1,000-a-plate charity event, along with Mrs. Clinton. Only Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis declined the invitation.

Mrs. Clinton was honorary chairwoman of the event.

Johnny Mathis and a 28-piece orchestra entertained the crowd in a cavernous white tent on the site of the new garden 300 yards away from the Capitol. The tent was festooned with 14,000 roses that were flown in from around the country.

The National Garden will feature an environmental learning center, a rose garden and a water garden, which will be dedicated to America’s first ladies. Benefit organizers said the garden will “promote the great diversity of American plants and their importance to the environment.”