A few weeks ago, Michelle Obama and a group of local school children planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.  This story struck me as exciting news.  My grandmother had a vegetable garden in which I spent time as a child.  I enjoyed picking peapods and strawberries and eating obscure foods like gooseberries and kohlrabi.  My grandmother would squish crop eating beetles between her bare fingers and throw grubs that she dug up to our dog, who would eat them.  It was a really good time.

My grandmother lived in a rural part of Maryland and I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  Most people that I know do not have vegetable gardens.  In fact, I can only think of a few people (my grandmother is turning 99 and is not gardening anymore).  Some Community Energy employees have gardens, including Philip, who blogged about his garden a couple of weeks ago in “The Joys of Gardening”.  A mother from my children’s school also has a vegetable garden.  That is it.  We all eat and most people agree that fresh food tastes better, so why don’t more suburban homes have vegetable gardens?

Time, space, and deer are barriers to having a garden.  Some people do not like to get dirty or may feel that they lack know how.  I suspect that another factor might be that it is not socially acceptable in some regions.  Pristine lawns are a point of pride in the suburbs and it may raise some eyebrows to dig up part of the backyard.  This is where the Obama garden comes in. 

If the most prestigious and popular family in the country has a vegetable garden, maybe it becomes more acceptable for the average homeowner as well.  Maybe tearing up part of the lawn for a garden will even become cool.  Instead of pride in perfect lawns, we will show off our giant zucchini or juicy tomatoes.  If your neighbor asks you why you tore up part of your yard for a vegetable garden, you could reply that if it is good enough for the White House, it is good enough for your house.