Time to Plant Gardens on White House Lawns and Our Lawns

"Come the spring with all its splendor,

All its birds and all its blossoms,

all its flowers, and leaves, and grasses."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (1807-1882)

Me in my garden

It is now springtime and many vegetable gardens will be planted soon. I’ve had several gardens over the years, growing tomatoes, zucchini, cantaloupe, green beans, carrots, onions, peppers, radishes, lettuce, and once in awhile, corn and potatoes. I never had very good luck growing corn for some reason. Yet, it looks like it is off to a good start in my garden above. Maybe because Daddy was from Iowa and he knew a lot about growing corn.

This week our President and First Lady made headlines when ground was broken on the South Lawn of the White House for an organic “Victory Garden.” According to Friday’s Washington Post, The 1,100-square-foot garden will include 55 kinds of vegetables, be berries, herbs and “two hives for honey that will be tended by a White House carpenter who is also a beekeeper. The chefs will use the produce to feed the first family, as well as for state dinners and other official events.”

White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld said, “The White House will use organic seedlings, as well as organic fertilizers and organic insect repellents. The garden will be near the tennis courts and be visible to passersby on the street. The whole Obama family will be involved in tending the garden.”

Michele Obama has talked about the importance of healthful eating and the challenges of persuading her children to eat fruits and vegetables. I believe a garden is fun for a family. I know I enjoyed having gardens when I was young.

And in later years… and as a result of good crops, making zucchini bread, canning zucchini pickles, making jam, and jellies…and trying to give away tomatoes and zucchinis when the whole neighborhood was growing their gardens, too.

This was the best jam ever! I wish I still had that plum tree!

And those darn zucchini squash; you can hear them grow at night if you listen carefully for the sounds hidden somewhat by the breezes.

See what I mean....this happened overnight! :-)

When an apple tree’s in blossom it is glorious to see,
But that’s just a hint, at springtime, of the better things to be.”
~Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)

In 1943, during World War II, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a large Victory Garden on the White House lawn, inspiring millions of Americans by her example. I’ve also read that President Carter had a small herb garden, and the Clinton’s also grew a small garden on the roof of the White House.

War Posters for Victory Gardens

I also wrote about gardens June of 2007 on my Blog.

~Linda

Gardening

One thing I miss is not having a vegetable garden. I’ve often had one. During the 1970s in Southern CA, my family and several of the neighbors each had gardens. We all grew tomatoes and zucchini, and other vegetables. I love zucchini cooked in several ways: steamed with light Italian seasoning, fried, boiled, and in omelets. If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know it grows fast. One day you see the small yellow blossom, and before you know it, it’s ready to pick. I think you can hear them growing in the dark of night! A couple of summers in that neighborhood, we all had such big crops of zucchini and tomatoes we should have opened a farmers market on the street corner. LOL. Instead, we made loaves of zucchini bread, canned many jars of pickled zucchini, and all swore that we would take turns each summer planting crops. But by the time the next spring came, we were all planting our own gardens again.

"One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."
Dorothy Gurney (1858-1932).

I believe Nancy and I had an appreciation for flower and vegetable gardens from an early age. Loved working the rich soil with hands, and loved the results of our planting. This early picture of us shows how we loved getting dirty and eating our fresh grown carrots. :-)

This picture of me tending the garden was a little later. I was digging among the corn.

How’s this for a zucchini? This was from Don’s and my garden in Southern CA. Normally we picked zucchini when much smaller, but you know how it is: they can hide under the big leaves!

Two additional quotes I like are:

"I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets...." ~George Washington Carver (1864-1943).

and as our distant cousin Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) said:

"Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow."

So maybe Nancy and I have an appreciation for gardens in our genes....

~Linda

P.S. Update: Apparently Delta and Dawn swam under the Golden Gate Bridge out into the Pacific, during the night hours Tuesday.