Posted on 06/22/2009 8:59:48 AM PDT by dennisw
Obama detractors are suggesting that the garden on the South Lawn (planted by Mrs. Obama and schoolchildren in March) is fake. The conspiracy theorists claim that, despite a lot of compost and a very rainy spring, the vegetables harvested by the first lady and those same schoolchildren last Tuesday could not have grown so big in just 90 days.
These critics surmise that the White House substituted mature plants for immature ones - in the dead of night, I guess - in order to fool the American public. An actual-dirt dirty trick that would live up to the name Watercressgate.
I wear two hats here at The Baltimore Sun. I write this column and a gardening blog called Garden Variety. It was in that capacity that I was invited to the White House last week to cover the harvest of the spring crop - snap peas and lettuces - and the picnic Mrs. Obama and the children prepared with the results.
It was in the comments posted to Garden Variety that this new conspiracy theory emerged.
"That garden was bought at a produce section and faked," wrote Clint Brown. "That is staged and you all know it!"
"That's what they do on every issue," wrote Mike A. "1) bait 2) switch 3) media says 'who cares.'"
"Vanderleun" said in the comment he posted on Garden Variety that the press knew the garden was fake but "they're just forbidden to say or report it."
An Internet search revealed the same skepticism elsewhere, on news feeds like the Drudge Report and on conservative "Obama-watch" blogs.
My own nephew (he is a Republican) sent me a text message saying, "There's no way those are the same plants. If they are, then I'm moving to D.C. and starting a farm and raking it in."
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
I know, but that is not what they so publicly planted. I looked at the original planting photos pretty closely, and didn’t see the little greenies. I am still waiting for my topsy-turvy to provide me with ripe salsa ingredients, and I planed it with greenhouse plants that had little greenies before the White House started digging. (l live about 3 miles away.) I think someone went out there in the dead of night, after the original photo op, and switched.
I look for 60 degree nights to send my plants into high gear. We’ve only had a few of them so far but it looks like the last few have gotten things moving at a pretty good pace.
I have peppers forming on the plants but only a couple of flower buds on the tomatoes.
***...the ‘powers that be’ thought it was to demeaning for ‘city bred thugs to be tending crops in the field’ etc......****
They aught not to commit crimes in Arkansas! Tucker and Cummins Prison farms are famous for what gets planted there, especially in the unmarked cemeteries!
There isn’t any ‘dead of night’ around the WH. There are folks monitoring everything on the grounds 24/7. They know and it will come out like everything else always does.
how about a simple question that should be readily answerable:
—
how long does it take to go from seed to harvest for snap peas and lettuces?
If anything, I would worry that the peas would only be good for stew and other long cooking dishes after 90 days. I had more than enough overmature peas from my dad's garden when I was a kid.
I remember when Jimmah Carter went fishing out west years ago. The Secret Service were seen wading and splashing in the water trying to spook fish toward Carter so he could get a bite.
Perhaps the writer saw the pot plants and presumed they were tomatoes.
What tomatoes? They harvested lettuce and snap peas. Those are early harvest items.
Hubby and I were talking about the lack of weeds or need for weeding with so much rain in DC. The chef said they have weeded the garden about once a week. Hubby thinks they must have brought in “baked” soil. Otherwise, they would have weeds poppin’ up all over the place with the amount of rain they’ve had.
I wish we could garden, but we’re in the desert. We had the most wonderful garden when we lived in fertile Michigan. Lettuces, spinach, and sugar snap peas were our first items to plant and harvest. Then strawberries (though they didn’t produce a good crop until the second year). We purchased tomato plants or used plants started in Grandma’s greenhouse. They did not produce until late June. But that was in Michigan. DC is warmer and would produce sooner. Anywho, I see nothing unusual about the First Lady’s garden. I think it’s a great photo op and educational tool. I’d much rather Mrs. Obama do this sort of thing and teaching people to be self-sufficient rather than her encouraging government expansion and intervention. Maybe she’ll learn something. Maybe she could go out and visit people who grow and can their own food. Maybe she can see “real” America.
The monitors wouldn’t dare interfere with Mrs. BO’s garden operation. In fact, they probably were drafted. But you’re right, it will all come out at some point. There are three perimeter rings around the White House, not to mention what’s inside the fence.
Wow, that’s some ambitious garden Michelle has there. She’s going to be awfully busy tending that harvest. One wonders when she’ll have time to awe the fashion world with her genius — or perhaps dirt-under-the-nails will be the runway “look” this year?
I planted snap peas and maters, my snap peas are long gone, but while they were in season, they exploded...but my maters are but small bb-sized and weeks away from ripening.
Ed
Probably legit if it was just lettuce and snap peas.
Lettuce and other greens are about 45 days, unless it gets too hot and dry. The stuff in the salad garden plan that was posted all matures quickly.
I don’t grow peas, but they like the same weather: cool, with some sun.
There are tomato varieties bred for cool weather that will set fruit at 55 degrees (Silvery Fern)and tomatoes can take anywhere from 58 days to 80 days to mature after being planted out. One variety of cherry tomato I have grown (Red Robin) is a miniature that takes over 90 days from seed to mature inside and is done bearing in about 120 days.
This is a silly flap, IMO.
I have been growing tomatoes in the DC area for 15 years and have never had any to eat by June 16. More like sometime after July 4. But I am an amateur, so what do I know? What grows good and fast here is cilantro and chives.
Did they eat tomatoes the other day? Or were there photos of ripe tomatoes? I only saw the pictures of peas and lettuce.
LOL No that’s to American for him.
The reverse is true: lying in the little things....
Yeah Susan, that's the ticket.
You just gotta admire a real professional JOURNALIST like Susan Reimer!
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