no more victory gardens

[momma_to_seven_chi]

Now they are called "kitchen" gardens.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29787424/

Scary because it does give credence to the idea that food shortages are in the future of the US. I wonder if she knows the legislature is trying to outlaw home gardens and food production of any kind? *Sometimes you wonder if we will end up like Gideon the might man of valor who had to hide to winnow his wheat.

Unlike many, I like the Obamas. They seem to care about people rather than just money. At least this new "garden" will help encourage people to feed themselves rather than allow big business to do it. And if things do get really bad in this depression, just providing hope by giving people something to do will be good. It's like the Tommy Turtle cartoons of the fifties that gave kids a way to deal with the fear of war. Duck and cover would never really work in an atomic blast, but it was a band-aid to deal with fear.

[leera]

It's interesting,I wonder why none of the other former presidents have allowed such an idea to take root before?

I think if everyone who could,grew at least some food at home,we'd be a healthier population.I think it's good for all people,not just children to fully understand where food comes from and what goes into raising it.

No food tastes better than something you grew yourself......

[LABeekeeper]

You forget that many people including some of my neighbors must have a monoculture sea of St. Augustine grass at their home and they expect everyone to also. Even out in the sticks, it is not uncommon to see a 10 acre parcel with nothing but a few planted trees and a grass lawn. I guess some folks love to sit on a riding mower and cut the grass.

My suburbia lawn is full of dandelions, white clover, New Zeland white clover, crimson clover, violets, vetch, aster, goldenrod, and many other plants most people call weeds and want to run to Lowe's or Home Depot for the herbicide. I call these "weeds" bee forage.

My "weeds" greatly pisses off my neighbors, but they seem to love the humming birds, songbirds, and butterflies that live at my house and love the bottles of honey and beeswax candles I give them. I do mow regularly, to keep my "weeds" looking maintained.

Above the grass level I have citrus, figs, plums, apples, blueberries, native blueberries, pawpaws, muscadines, grapes, etc., that I planted as landscape plants. Got a few azeleas and camilieas too and then the herb and vegetable gardens.

My neighbors who hate my yard maintanece sure do love the fresh apples, oranges, kumquats, figs, etc. I give them. Guess they need to rant about my weeds.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

One of my "city friends" planted wildflowers (sometimes known as weeds) to attract humming birds and butterflies. Her neighbors HATED it. They complained constantly. So just to make them feel better she put up a bunch of pink flamingos and plastic geese. She dresses the geese up with seasonal clothes.
She's one of my heroes. I wish I had nasty neighbors, so I could do that too. I love the idea.

[MotherCharlotte]

There's always a better way to use land that to have it as a lawn!

[GoodDaughter]

I have had rude comments about the 12 ft. high rugged cross that I put up in my front yard. Where I live there are no restrictions, so it is perfectly o.k. to have two or three 40 year old trailer houses cobbled together with plywood and tarpaper, 30 year old abandoned Buicks with saplings growing up through them, or heaps of scrap metal mounded up, but apparently it's an outrage to put up a 12 ft. tall cross and surround it with butterfly and hummingbird plants, roses, and a simple, Doric style bird bath.

Nosy neighbors need to mind their own business. >:(

[JBinKC]

Interesting fact: When he lived in the states the maintenance of a lush green lawn was the biggest pet peeve of Sayyid Qutb, the father of the al-qaeda movement.

So when see that neighbor who has that impeccable green lawn you can thank him for harboring terrorism.

[GoodDaughter]

Do you mean this guy liked or disliked the green lawn? I'm assuming he liked it?

I neither like nor dislike green lawns. A nice little patch of green is nice, like a little island among the trees, shrubs and edibles. A nice place to lay on your back and look at the clouds or stars or doze a while on a mild summer day without getting covered in mulch or dirt. Yeah, I could lay on the porch or on a hammock, but sometimes I need to be in physical contact with the grass and earth itself. I still have a child-like fascination with nature that way. My patch of green lawn is about 60'x125'. Everything else is planted or contains animals.

[hissyfit]

Good post!
I believe there was one first lady in the the past who did a victory garden. I think Eleanor Roosevelt but I wouldn't swear on it. :-/

It is nice to see the promotion of a good value such as growing your own. Also nice to see DC children helping and learning that value.

[pcrowder]

I call mine my V.O.O. garden (my victory over OBAMA garden)