Our White House Kitchen Garden Replica

The Historic Kirchem Farm wants you to consider growing some of your own organic food too! It can provide fantastic bonding time while educating your kids, and it is just plain good for you.

While we chose a full sized replica of the White House Kitchen Garden, you do not have to get so carried away! Even tucking a few greens into a small flower bed or a patio container counts. Gardeners from all around the world are giving us a thumbs up. Please add your thumbs up by scrolling down and signing our guest book. Tell us about your own garden plans this year.

Our White House Kitchen Garden is a full sized replica of The First Lady's garden on the south lawn. We are located in beautiful Oregon City OR and want children in the West to have access to seeing what the real White House Garden is like. Colors, smells, textures, tastes! Don't forget to share these same senses with the children in your lives.

Our White House Kitchen Garden is planted at the Historic Kirchem Farm, which celebrates and seeks to enhance the inherent relationship between people and the natural world. In doing so, we strive to provide the highest quality farm products, services, and educational opportunities available.

Our White House Garden is part of this vision. Further expanding our stewardship, we are also planning and planting Heritage Orchards & Gardens. Soon we can stroll between trees favored by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as offering living testimony to the founding fathers of America who also honored nature.

Ground has been broken at the White House's south lawn. Soon seeds and plants will take hold and produce enough organic food to supplement the White House kitchen menus. During peak harvest any unused food will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen, an organization that helps feed those in need. We also plan to direct portions of our garden to Oregon's Food Bank. Perhaps you will also have room to add an extra row or two to share your abundance with others.

We have made every attempt to make this list as accurate as possible. We even wrote Mr. Dale Haney, the White House horticulturist, asking for a list of specific plant varieties by name. After all, not every pea will be the one chosen pea! We will let you know when Mr. Haney replies.

Edible marigolds and nasturtiums line one of the gardens interior paths.They are not only beautiful and edible but will help draw aphids away from the rest of the plants and aid in pollination. Bright flowering zinnias line the other walkway.

A small berry patch includes assorted blueberries and raspberries.

Raised boxes will include mint, rhubarb.

It appears other plants will be in broadcast beds rather than only a row. These beds will include:
carrots
onions
arugula
collards
spinach
black kale
fennel
sugar snap peas
shell peas
broccoli
butterhead lettuce
green oak leaf lettuce
red oak leaf lettuce
galactic lettuce
peppers
radishes
shallots
tomatillos
red romaine lettuce
chard

Herbs boxes will contain carrots, and both perennial and annual varieties.
Perennials:
garlic
chives
hyssop
rosemary
marjoram
sorrel
oregano
thyme
chamomile
sage

Annuals:
dill
cilantro
parsley (although we winter our parsley with a bit of protection)

Our White House Kitchen Garden will be a replica in size (1100 SF) and plants, but we will also plant a traditional large garden near by. Lots of various tomato, cucumber, peppers, zucchini, assorted squash, sunflowers, potatoes, and at least 8 different basils always top our list. Don't forget strawberries and lots of happy cosmos if you have room.

The White House generously has provided this link where you can download their kitchen gardens layout.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/garden_layout.pdf

* There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
* At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
* Presidential Firsts while in office... President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.
* With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.
* The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
* For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling lane.
* AND AN ORGANIC KITCHEN VEGETABLE GARDEN ON THE SOUTH LAWN!

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