Research estimates put the average ratio of savings in grocery costs on the vegetables and herbs produced by a home garden at 25-to-1. The Obamas' family of five (including Michelle Obama's mother) will invest $200 for a savings of $5,000.
Yet there are many other home-garden yields as great as the money saved, including physical health, a sense of psychological well-being, the pure joy of truly fresh flavors, and amusements as colorful as Disney World.
Medical research has long established that regular, gentle exercise - bending, stretching, pulling - not only prolongs but also improves quality of life. In this sense, a garden is a permanent personal trainer-in-residence. As the first lady demonstrated vividly in her inaugural garden photograph, a determined smile and strong back are worth a thousand words.
In addition, the psychic rewards of a life lived intimately with plants have been documented since time began. Gardens have been the birthplace of art, poetry, music, medicine, and scientific discovery.
Finally, when compared with store-bought produce that has been picked unripe and shipped hundreds of miles over several weeks, a vine-ripened tomato, freshly dug potato, or just-picked muskmelon possesses flavors that are without comparison. It is primarily for this last reason - which is the unreason of pure delight - that gardens have been the image and symbol of paradise throughout history and across cultures.
These compelling benefits may explain the surprising statistic that approximately one-third of American households engage in some form of vegetable or herb gardening. Industry sales figures suggest that most of these households have gardens smaller than the new one at the White House.
