Isn’t it great to keep reading about a vegetable garden at the White House?

Poor Michelle Obama, though — I wish somebody had given her a better tool for the photo-op of the groundbreaking that landed on the front page of the New York Times. (Here’s a link to a blog with the photo.) She’s sure not going to get very far with that rake — somebody should have handed her a shovel or a pitchfork. And those boots look a tad nicer than most gardeners wear. But good for her for bringing this idea to fruition. And I can’t wait to see photos of the First Family weeding.

Here’s more on the garden from Chris Beytes’ GrowerTalks newsletter:

“First Family goes gardening

“You probably heard the news from the mainstream media: Michelle Obama last week helped break ground for a White House vegetable garden—the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. The shoveling took place Friday, with the help of 23 fifth-graders from a Washington, D.C. elementary school.

“You know from this newsletter that there’s been a strong lobbying effort taking place, including “Eat the View” and “White House Farmer.” Whether or not they had any influence on the decision isn’t clear—according to Mrs. Obama, it was the health aspect of fresh vegetables that inspired her. She told the New York Times that the idea came from her experiences as a working mother and trying to feed her daughters a healthy diet. Her pediatrician told her that she needed to be thinking more about nutrition. To that end, the role of the White House garden, in Mrs. Obama’s view, is to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruits and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become national concerns.

“My hope,” the First Lady said in an interview, “is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

“The 1,100 sq. ft. raised-bed garden will be grown organically, using compost from the White House, crab meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control pests. It will start with 55 varieties of veggies, from a wish list of the kitchen staff. Sam Kass, an assistant White House chef, will oversee the garden. The White House grounds crew and kitchen staff will do most of the work, but other White House staff members have volunteered to help out.

“I asked ANLA executive vice president Bob Dolibois, our man inside Washington, for ANLA’s view and he replied, “We’re delighted, of course.” He’s hoping the White House will create a garden blog that will allow all of us to keep up with it, including useful information like what varieties the Obamas are planting, so retailers can offer “Barack’s picks” or “Michelle’s favorites.” I’ve dug online, but haven’t yet found any specific variety listings.

“I’m thrilled to have vegetable gardening in the limelight like this. But one of my fears is that the garden will be hijacked, politically speaking, by those with extreme environmental views, which could spoil the opportunity for all of us. Remember, it’s not about HOW you garden—whether traditional, organic, hydroponic, biodynamic, in containers, in a window, following the signs from the Old Farmers Almanac or using every tool modern science offers. It’s about IF you garden, period. There is no right or wrong way. Getting folks to give gardening a try is the biggest benefit the White House garden offers.