First lady Michelle Obama planted the first fruit and vegetable seedlings in the new White House garden today, assisted by a group of eager fifth-graders who tend to a similar garden at their school.
An advocate of eating fresh and healthy food, she could be enjoying salads made with lettuce from the garden in about two weeks.
Spinach, assorted types of lettuce, herbs, onions, shallots, cucumbers and peas are among the crops planted Thursday. Tomatoes are to follow in about three weeks. Honey will come from a beehive a short distance away from the 1,100-square-foot, L-shaped plot on the South Lawn.
Before they got their hands dirty, Mrs. Obama encouraged the Bancroft Elementary School students to eat more fruits and vegetables and to eat them regularly. She said she learned about that as a mother trying to feed her daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha.
"It does have nutrients, it does make you strong, it is all brain food," she said. Mercury News
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