Friday, March 20, 2009

The White House has BEES

So, today saw a little story about the First Lady and a bunch of kids breaking ground for the new White House garden. It's nice to see an old tradition return -- there was a time when every great house had its own kitchen garden, and I find it hard to believe that farmers like Washington, Adams, and Jefferson would have preferred all that vast green lawn to some actual growing space. Sounds like they're not planting anything I'd be interested in eating, but more power to them. And, best of all, they're apparently setting up a beehive (no bees, no vegetables) as well. Given the continuing bee die-off underway throughout this country, that's good news, but I can't help wondering what the secret service make of that.
Here's the link, with a nice picture of Mrs. Obama looking game but v. uncomfortable with the rake:


http://weblogs.newsday.com/features/home/gardendetective_blog/2009/03/more_details_on_the_white_hous.html

1 comment:

Auntie M said...

Apparently, that is the same spot Eleanor Roosevelt used for her Victory Garden during WWII. So the White House has had a vegetable garden in the past.
I daresay, it has usually had just Formal Gardens as it is a Formal House and not a working farm. But I'm sure the smaller plots like the Roosevelt's and the Obama's are not the first or the last.
Lisa Harrigan