okay, no beets as the president doesn't like them, but there salad seems very limited to lots of leafy greens.
Where are the string beans, tomatoes, and zucchini? Fennel seems to be the most 'exotic' vegetable - has Michelle or the WH kitchen staff even looked at a seed catalog recently?
While the Clintons grew some vegetables in pots on the White House roof, the Obamas’ garden will far transcend that, with 55 varieties of vegetables — from a wish list of the kitchen staff — grown from organic seedlings started at the Executive Mansion’s greenhouses.
The Obamas will feed their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey.
I love this idea. Also I am getting a kick out of the Obamas because they are doing everything I would do if suddenly I had a giant lawn with a staff to maintain it, a bunch of helicopters, a limo, bodyguards, etc.
how much water does the unproductive portion of the lawn use? water is a precious and limited resource and i'd like to see a complete xeriscape approach to the entire white house property. keep changin' as i can believe in!
Are there any gardeners on this thread? It is too early to start planting many vegetables in DC.
The Obama's garden was described as their Spring garden. Only the hardiest of vegetables were planted. The last frost in the DC region is late April to early May, and varies depending how north or south of the city you are, how close you are to the Potomac, and whether you are on the east (Tidewater) or west (Piedmont) of the Fall Line. Many DC gardeners wait until Mother's Day to plant most of their vegetables. So keep a look out for more than salad greens on the White House Lawn.
Are there any gardeners on this thread? It is too early to start planting many vegetables in DC.
The Obama's garden was described as their Spring garden. Only the hardiest of vegetables were planted. The last frost in the DC region is late April to early May, and varies depending how north or south of the city you are, how close you are to the Potomac, and whether you are on the east (Tidewater) or west (Piedmont) of the Fall Line. Many DC gardeners wait until Mother's Day to plant most of their vegetables. So keep a look out for more than salad greens on the White House Lawn.
The first family can plant what ever it wants on the nation's lawn, but since this is a de facto demonstration garden for the US citizenry that every media outlet has taken care to label as "organic" I'm disappointed that the White House has ignored the consequences and misinformation surrounding organic agriculture. Quite simply, if Alice Waters had her way and "conventional" farming was replaced by local organic, the poorer half of the world would starve. Those of us that are left would have no lower cancer or food related illness incidents. And the environment would only be better because less people were living on the planet. Despite the "sustainable" label, organic agriculture only manages to sustain poverty and starvation, while Prince Charles continues to have his organic salad greens flown 200 miles by helicopter - for the environment.
The Obama administration was emphatic that science was going to be the basis of policy, not politics - what happened here?
I thought I read somewhere that they are planning a succession of crops, and the green leafies are just the first wave. haven't followed the story all that closely though.
it is ever so delightful that the youngsters have discovered this new invention, vegetable gardens. it tickles me no end that they have become hip.
fritz haeg was the first to ever think of having food gardens instead of lawns! in fact, in his hands, it's art! (or so they tell me.)
fritz was NOT the first, he was just the guy to hype himself endlessly to the point that mainstream media and the art world noticed. the home gardening movement has been steadily growing for many decades now, and there have been myriad anti-lawn folks nestled into this insular world. Fritz was just one of first 'cool' archi-type to jump on this meme. Then there are all the landscape architects/ecological restoration/productive landscape folks who did the hard work.
I'd also point out that compared to most landscape architects, fritz is rather clueless. I can think of dozens of gardens that are better at producing food integrated with aesthetics.
the Garden at the White House
NYtimes
okay, no beets as the president doesn't like them, but there salad seems very limited to lots of leafy greens.
While the Clintons grew some vegetables in pots on the White House roof, the Obamas’ garden will far transcend that, with 55 varieties of vegetables — from a wish list of the kitchen staff — grown from organic seedlings started at the Executive Mansion’s greenhouses.Where are the string beans, tomatoes, and zucchini? Fennel seems to be the most 'exotic' vegetable - has Michelle or the WH kitchen staff even looked at a seed catalog recently?
The Obamas will feed their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey.
no arugula?
anybody gone into whole foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? i mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.
I know, that was my first thought.
Fortunately (for the garden, at least) the west wing of the building has always offered a limitless supply of manure.
Arugula is being planted per the NYtimes article: There will be no beets — the president does not like them — but arugula will make the cut.
this is happening everywhere in my city amongst my friends people are even taking back public space to make gardens
just make sure you have that soil tested first.
where will they get their fertilizer? oh wait it's d.c.
vado i think this farm might be good place to start a "body farm," and perhaps we could use AIG execs?
and congress!
I love this idea. Also I am getting a kick out of the Obamas because they are doing everything I would do if suddenly I had a giant lawn with a staff to maintain it, a bunch of helicopters, a limo, bodyguards, etc.
how much water does the unproductive portion of the lawn use? water is a precious and limited resource and i'd like to see a complete xeriscape approach to the entire white house property. keep changin' as i can believe in!
love it--- nice pic in the NYtimes!
Are there any gardeners on this thread? It is too early to start planting many vegetables in DC.
The Obama's garden was described as their Spring garden. Only the hardiest of vegetables were planted. The last frost in the DC region is late April to early May, and varies depending how north or south of the city you are, how close you are to the Potomac, and whether you are on the east (Tidewater) or west (Piedmont) of the Fall Line. Many DC gardeners wait until Mother's Day to plant most of their vegetables. So keep a look out for more than salad greens on the White House Lawn.
Are there any gardeners on this thread? It is too early to start planting many vegetables in DC.
The Obama's garden was described as their Spring garden. Only the hardiest of vegetables were planted. The last frost in the DC region is late April to early May, and varies depending how north or south of the city you are, how close you are to the Potomac, and whether you are on the east (Tidewater) or west (Piedmont) of the Fall Line. Many DC gardeners wait until Mother's Day to plant most of their vegetables. So keep a look out for more than salad greens on the White House Lawn.
The first family can plant what ever it wants on the nation's lawn, but since this is a de facto demonstration garden for the US citizenry that every media outlet has taken care to label as "organic" I'm disappointed that the White House has ignored the consequences and misinformation surrounding organic agriculture. Quite simply, if Alice Waters had her way and "conventional" farming was replaced by local organic, the poorer half of the world would starve. Those of us that are left would have no lower cancer or food related illness incidents. And the environment would only be better because less people were living on the planet. Despite the "sustainable" label, organic agriculture only manages to sustain poverty and starvation, while Prince Charles continues to have his organic salad greens flown 200 miles by helicopter - for the environment.
The Obama administration was emphatic that science was going to be the basis of policy, not politics - what happened here?
I've been gardening for two years in Minnesota. Our last frost is june, but I've been lucking planting in may.
So is there going to be a summer garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash?
I thought I read somewhere that they are planning a succession of crops, and the green leafies are just the first wave. haven't followed the story all that closely though.
it is ever so delightful that the youngsters have discovered this new invention, vegetable gardens. it tickles me no end that they have become hip.
fritz haeg was the first to ever think of having food gardens instead of lawns! in fact, in his hands, it's art! (or so they tell me.)
fritz was NOT the first, he was just the guy to hype himself endlessly to the point that mainstream media and the art world noticed. the home gardening movement has been steadily growing for many decades now, and there have been myriad anti-lawn folks nestled into this insular world. Fritz was just one of first 'cool' archi-type to jump on this meme. Then there are all the landscape architects/ecological restoration/productive landscape folks who did the hard work.
I'd also point out that compared to most landscape architects, fritz is rather clueless. I can think of dozens of gardens that are better at producing food integrated with aesthetics.
perhaps my irony was a little too subtle there. note to self: insert winking smiley next time...
the one haeg garden I've ever seen in person was completely uninteresting. but you know, he wears a cool fedora, and that makes all the difference.
;-)
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