I'm breaking one of my rules by posting this. (I don't talk politics).

I was reading on Yahoo news that Michelle Obama is going to have a fairly large garden on the grounds of the White House.

I feel that this is a good thing. It shows that people can grow veggies to both save $$$ and to eat healthier. It has apparently been decades since there was a big garden at the White House.

In recent years there have been container gardens of herbs and tomatoes on the White House rooftop.

From what I've been reading about Mrs. Obama, she feels that growing your own veggies is a good thing because it will eliminate eating so many processed foods.

 Interesting, Babs

In my college biology class (YEARS and YEARS ago), I wrote a term paper on Permaculture, which is sort of a self-sustainable agriculture practice. I learned lots of neat methods for getting such a system started on a home-sized scale. (Not that I ever really implemented much of it, I'm ashamed to say...)

But ever since then, I have always thought our front yards were sort of a delinquent space. We spend lots of time and energy watering/mowing/fertilizing/pruning the area, but for what? A green lawn? What about spending that energy and time growing food? In Europe, lots of people keep veggie gardens in their front yards, and they look quite normal over there.

The White House grounds could grow gobs more food than most of us could, that's definitely for sure. I wonder if Mrs. Obama will do all the work herself, or if it will be done by landscapers? Either way, and least the space is being used in a more productive way.

VNW, I don't think that was a political post. It was a gardening post, and a quite refreshing one, IMHO. Thank you!

I think this is great . VNW .. this is brilliant

My DH calles them Community gardens 

we start planting gardens every where we can - down at the senior center the Senior are excited .. they have done all the planning 

we own land behind two group homes that one is huge we planting a really big gardent there .. the residents are thrilled

we got a field down the road that a community garden ... you work there you get Veggie .. it such a simple thing .. my DH is out today showing a church  a garden spot  a simple idea ...

If you go to The New York Times website and click on the Food & Dining section, you can read an article about this garden.

Mrs. Obama says the whole family plus the staff will be involved with the garden including weeding. There will not be any beets as President Obama doesn't eat or like beets. That made me chuckle as I recalled that President Bush (the one married to Barbara) did not eat or like brocolli .

The seeds and plants for this garden cost $200.00 and it included the wish list from the kitchen staff. There will be berries being grown for desserts. The garden will be organic.

The last big garden at the White House was Eleanor Roosevelt's. The Clintons grew vegetables in containers.