Go organic, just like the White House

First of all, follow the Obamas' example and go green; growing organically is the way to go. There's no reason to use chemicals in the home garden.

If you want to duplicate what the first family is creating on the South Lawn, first feed the soil, not the plants. That means adding organic matter, like well-aged animal manures, compost, dehydrated manure or mushroom manure, whatever you can find that's cheap and readily available. Variety will help the garden.

Improving the soil is the hardest job of gardening, but it's essential. Here's a rule of thumb: If the dirt sticks to the shovel, it's too wet to work. Wait until the soil is ready, then turn it over. Plants growing in good soil and compost will outgrow most diseases and fight off many pests because they are healthy.

Start with cool-weather crops like peas, lettuce, radishes, onions, carrots, cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts), spinach, turnips and beets to take advantage of the early season.