Zucchini on the White House Lawn

With the economy in distress, many of us are cutting back. A "hot date" for my husband and me these days is take out and a DVD. As families find themselves postponing some of the outings that they enjoyed in past summers, fun and adventure may be as close as their own backyards. Just stake off a spot, rent a tiller and create a garden.
On March 20, Michelle Obama and DC school children helped break ground for a kitchen garden on the grounds of the White House. Home “Victory Gardens” were very popular in our country in World Wars I and II. In 1943, Americans planted over 20 million gardens as part of the defense effort to take pressure off the labor force needed to grow the public food supply. The gardens were not intended as a chore, but as ways for families and communities to support the war effort. An estimated third of all vegetables consumed in the U.S. came from such family or community gardens.
Today home gardens are as timely as ever. Our food travels 1500 miles on average from grower to our table. Families who grow part of the own daily food needs are making a real contribution to saving precious fuel and energy resources.
The current White House “Victory Garden” was the dream of California Chef Alice Waters as part of a movement to encourage fresh, organic food for America’s table. The White House greenhouses are growing seedlings around 50 varieties of vegetables for the 1100-square-foot plot. Websites like Kitchen Gardeners International can help track how our national garden is going and growing. Insider sources say the President is going to do his share of weed pulling.
For new home gardeners, many books and magazines are available to help. My favorites include the classic "10.000 Garden Questions Answered" [Rodale Press] which helps figure out every possible thing that can go right or wrong with veggies as well as flowering plants. The local MSU Cooperative Extension also puts out helpful pamphlets and materials aimed at local soil and climate conditions. A popular PBS program called “The Victory Garden” [WGBH-Boston] has run for three decades and also offers online tips for the home gardener.
Among the easiest to grow: Radishes, Peppers, Chard or Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and other squashes, Pumpkins, Leeks and Spring Onions, Bush Beans, Beetroot, [Beets], Parsley, Peas and Carrots. Promote a sense of ownership in the project by letting family members experiment with the plants that appeal most to them. Set aside a regular time to get together and weed. A watering schedule can instill a sense of responsibility in even the youngest gardener.
What better time for families to teach their children that a safe and tasty food supply doesn’t just “happen”. An added bonus: your time in a garden together can create a lifetime of memories.