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Old 03-21-2009, 07:04 AM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 28,893,285 times
Reputation: 19090

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Michelle Obama: How Does Your Garden Grow? - Washington Wire - WSJ

Without getting into politics, what do you guys think of the new white house vegetable garden? Gotta admit I love seeing people gardening on the nightly news (although Michelle needs to wear a more realistic gardening outfit). Who knew when I started planting seeds last month that I was actually doing something trendy!

Do you think the public will be able to see it? I go into DC quite a bit, it might be a fun thing to snap a photo of. Also, I wonder who'll be tending it. Master Gardeners of DC, perhaps? That would be a fun MG assignment!

At least the white house won't have problems with deer. Hungry tourists desparate to find something to eat at the national mall, maybe...
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Old 03-21-2009, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Alaska and Texas
202 posts, read 819,882 times
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Default Great!

There have been many groups, publications and garden enthusiasts that have been encouraging the President to do this.
I read somewhere that in Japan the government gives you a property tax break if you have a vegetable/fruit garden. The notion is with limited land they would be less dependent on outside food sources if everybody had some food growing at home.
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Old 03-21-2009, 12:54 PM
 
48,505 posts, read 96,682,701 times
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If you have a garden in japan ;you are indeed well off; land is so costly. But i really doubt it will make much difference unless you can afford someone else to tend the garden. i don't garden because of the cool factor;I like fresh produce and growing it.The economy has more to do with increases i these type times as in the past. When times get better it passes like a fad.
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Old 03-22-2009, 11:08 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,805 times
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Busting up lawn sod with garden rakes? Michelle Obama is showing her lack of knowledge regarding gardening. See the photo at: [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/us/politics/21michelle.html?em[/url]

How about using a sod cutter and recycling the sod at a government building? Or, using a garden plow and a rototiller?

The sod could have been sprayed first with a grass killer such as Roundup.

What fertilizers and pesticides have been used the last 100+ years on the White House lawn? It may take a number of years before the garden could be classified as organic. Maybe never as a result of continued use of fertilizers and pesticides on the surrounding grass area.

I suspect that Michelle's sole involvement with this garden will be photo opportunities with her daughters. Serious gardening is dirty, sweaty work. I suspect the garden will end up in weeds, unless the White House gardeners take over the garden.
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Old 03-22-2009, 11:14 AM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,982,980 times
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For the past couple of years, seed companies have reported substantial increases in sales, due to a number of issues. Food prices, contaminated produce, and illegal immigration issues have led people to start gardening. So, the "White House garden" isn't leading the way -- it's catching up.
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Old 03-22-2009, 11:26 AM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
32,849 posts, read 36,161,804 times
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I hope that the Master Gardeners swoop in, though I'm sure that the grounds staff would do, because if she's going to plant garlic and okra outside in two weeks in DC, we're already looking at some problems.

I think that it would be great if Michelle Obama got even a few people interested in gardening.

"Not since Eleanor Roosevelt’s World War II-era “Victory Garden,” has an administration eaten what it has grown on the White House grounds." Uh ho, this doesn't bode well for...us.
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Old 03-22-2009, 11:41 AM
 
Location: USA
9,718 posts, read 6,407,789 times
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Look around White House occupants. What's her point........not to support "local" growers when times are bad and spend more money to put in a garden and have more staff to take care of it.
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Old 03-22-2009, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 28,893,285 times
Reputation: 19090
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bella52 View Post
Look around White House occupants. What's her point........not to support "local" growers when times are bad and spend more money to put in a garden and have more staff to take care of it.
By gum all those farmers who live in Georgetown must be furious. In DC you might find someone growing a pot plant or two, but the nearest real farm is well over an hour's drive away, not just down the road.

Somehow I don't think the crop of veggies that might come from this little plot will put a dent in the amount of produce the white house buys. Just like my own personal garden doesn't seem to lower my grocery bill (no matter how much I think it should). The point was to set an example--and, being a fan of gardening, it's an example I like to see being set.
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Old 03-22-2009, 01:47 PM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 28,893,285 times
Reputation: 19090
Okra??? LOL, not exactly a big crop around here.

My MG friends tell me the whitehouse garden will have the following: butterhead and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions, carrots, peas, basil, sage, oregano and rosemary. It will be tended by MG volunteers. Apparently they were the ones who intiated the idea--they've approached the last few administrations trying to get a project like this.

I also asked if they were going to model the scarecrow after any well known politicians. LOL, she laughed... but then she quickly changed the subject...
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Old 03-23-2009, 12:37 AM
 
Location: Somewhere out there
18,287 posts, read 23,152,934 times
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Whether it makes it "cool" or not it is something more people in our country need to be doing. I really think this is more of a PR thing for the 1st lady than promoting home gardens really. I am surprised that former chefs didn't inquire about having one for the fresh produce outside their back door.
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