Filed under: Gardening, Flowers, How-To
The First Lady did her spring planting already. If you haven't, why not take the opportunity to create a White House-style garden in your own yard? We've got all the details on planting all the fruits and vegetables.This month, Michelle Obama replanted the White House garden with a whole host of delicious and lovely fruits and vegetables. Not only do we admire her for drawing the nation's attention to gardening, we're grateful to her for creating an easy-to-replicate guide to spring plants.
Michelle Obama participates in planting with local school children at the White House Kitchen Garden. Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images
So whether you have a green thumb, a black thumb or you aren't even sure, we've got you covered: Ivette Soler of The Germinatrix and The Edible Front Yard is kindly walking us through the in's and out's of planting every plant in the 2011 garden -- plus plants featured by Mrs. Obama in the last couple years. Pick one, pick a few, or if you have a massive lawn, we dare you to recreate the whole thing (and yes, send us plenty of photos).
Starting with: Vegetables. (And then check out our guide to herbs!)
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Artichokes
Not only are artichokes delicious, they are one of the coolest plants to grow in any garden! The leaves look prehistoric, like a dinosaur would be chewing on them, and the "choke" is pretty weird. If you don't harvest and eat the choke, it will turn into the most incredible flower ever. In fact, it's a good idea to leave a couple of artichokes on the plant to bloom. Bees love artichoke blossoms, and the more bees you can attract to your garden, the better. It's a good idea to start with baby plants, instead of seeds. Artichoke seedlings can take too long to grow and set their choke. Artichokes get big, so be sure to give them plenty of room, especially if you live in warm climates -- at least 2-1/2 feet in all directions should be enough. Dig in lots of compost and a good amount of organic fertilizer in order to develop those big round chokes; these plants need lots of nourishment. Water it once a week with compost tea, and before you know it you'll have incredible plants that will give you delicious food or amazing flowers!
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Arugula
If you want to grow something easy, fast, and tasty, you have to try arugula. Arugula is often used in salads, and it tastes good in pasta, too. To grow it, decide on a sunny patch of ground, then sprinkle your seeds on it. Water the seeds into the soil, and in less than two weeks you'll see little sprouts coming up. Arugula grows fast, so you'll have to harvest it quickly; the leaves start tasting bitter if they get too old. A great thing to do is to let some of your arugula plants get tall and flower because those flowers will dry and become seeds. When birds eat the seeds, they'll spread them all over your garden, and you'll have surprise arugula plants next year!
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Beets
This annual vegetable, with it's dark leaves and magenta stems, is glorious! The iron-rich beet grows best in cool weather, making it an asset for the spring garden. Plant beets as early in the season as possible. They grow best when the temperature is cool and the sun is bright in light, loamy soil. Expect germination within a week to ten days. Be sure to keep an eye on the seedlings; you'll need to thin the leaves so the beets can form sturdy roots! Any time you're handling your home-grown beets, be careful! Beets are bloody and weep a lot, so wear an apron. You can use the leaf trimmings in micro-green salads or saute them with fennel and onions for an earthy taste sensation. Eat the beets themselves roasted with salt and pepper. Or thinly slice the beets, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon, and bake for an hour. Result: wow-worthy, yummy ruby-colored beet chips.
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Peppers (sweet and hot)
All peppers are colorful and easy to grow -- the sweet ones are good in stews, salads and all kinds of ethnic foods, and hot peppers make everything taste zippier! There are so many different kinds of peppers to grow you might not know where to start, so why not plant a few different varieties so that you can experiment in the garden and have fun in the kitchen? Peppers are one of those plants that need the weather to be hot before they grow, so you might have to start the seeds inside, or you can buy baby plants at a nursery when warm temperatures roll around. One thing to remember when starting pepper seeds is that if the pepper is one of the spicier varieties, it will take longer to sprout -- maybe buying little plants of the hottest peppers would be a smart idea! When you plant peppers, use good organic compost and a little well-balanced organic fertilizer. After watering, keep peppers not too wet /not too dry for best results.
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Black Kale
Black Kale has lots of names but my favorite one is Dinosaur Kale. If you haven't had it before, you should try it. It tastes great and is full of important vitamins. Kale is one of those plants that grows in cool weather, so if summers are really hot where you live, plant it either in the fall or in the early spring. It's easy to grow from seeds, or you can get small plants in little pots from a nursery. Be sure you add compost to the hole so the kale can grow fast and strong.
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Blueberries
Who doesn't LOVE blueberries? They are heavy hitters -- pretty plants that give delicious berries. Anybody can grow them, but here are some rules to follow to get the best, sweetest berries. First, you have to get a variety that is suited to the climate you live in. You should also have a special fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Blueberries grow best in evenly moist soil, so put it in a spot that gets good water, or that you can water regularly. Plant them in soil with lots of compost dug in, and mulch them with leaves, pine needles, or more compost. Even though you want to, you can't let the plants bear fruit the first year -- you have to get rid of the flowers. Being patient will pay off because the second year you'll get lots of big, juicy berries for your cereal, pancakes and muffins!
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Bok Choy
If you like stir-fry dishes and Asian soups, then bok choy is for you. It is crispy and mild, with a clean, pleasant cabbage flavor. Bok choy doesn't like warm weather -- it prefers early spring and late fall. If it gets too warm, the plant will form flowers and the leaves turn bitter. This is one of the seeds you can start when it is still a little cold out, but to make sure it sprouts, cover it with plastic to keep a tiny bit of warmth around the seeds. Bok choy loves moisture and nice rich soil, so don't skimp on the organic fertilizer. Harvest when they are 8" to 12" high. If you cut them an inch above the base, new little plants will sprout from the cuts! Harvest these plants young, when they are around 4" to 6" tall, before the heat sets in and turns the leaves bitter.
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
Broccoli
This is a yummy cool-season annual that takes a little extra care! Broccoli needs a ton of sun and consistent moist, rich soil. To grow broccoli, plant before the last frost and start indoors. For a second harvest, plant in midsummer. The clusters of edible flowers will be ready during fall to winter. When cutting, place your knife right under where the flower heads split. The remaining stem will spur secondary stems and encourage growth. Broccoli is a great addition to any meal as a side vegetable, or it can be added to pasta dishes and stir-fry.
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
White House Garden: Vegetables and Fruit
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