Green Daily

(Photo by Richard Termine)

As Josh mentioned earlier this week, First Lady Michelle Obama has finally made the big time: she did a PSA for Sesame Street! She and Elmo star in the spot, which promotes the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise.

We know that Michelle is big into gardening, which helps you get both, so in her honor here are some tips for starting your own garden in your backyard.

Step One -- Pick Your Spot
Plants needs sun, space, water and dirt. You'll also want a spot that is safe from rabbits, deer, and light-fingered neighbors who crave fresh strawberries or zucchini.

Step Two -- Make a Plan
The experts at BackyardGardener are very clear about this: for a successful garden you need to figure out what you're going to do before you do it, and then you need to stick to your plan. This includes drawing a scale plan of your garden, deciding what you want to grow, and planning for different growing season so that your garden yields as many carrots, tomatoes and beans as possible.

Step Three -- Figure Out Your Soil
Knowing your soil will tell you which plants will do best in your garden, and what fertilizers you need to balance out any acidity or alkalinity, or to compensate for a lack of nutrients. There are ways to test at home, or you can send a sample to a lab and have it done for you.

Step Four -- Get Some Tools
I have to admit, this is my favorite part -- shopping! Your individual needs will depend on your preferences -- do you care if your shoes get muddy, or do you want gardening clogs? Is it more fun to get on your hands and knees and dig, or is it better to have a long pole between you and any odd mushrooms?

Whatever your preferences, some of the basics you'll want to pick up at Target or order from Gardeners.com include:

• sun hat
• gloves
• trowel or rake
• bucket
• watering can
• one of those cool kneeling things
• shovel
• bucket

Step Five - Pick Quality Seeds (Or Just Buy Some Plants)
If your seeds are duds, no amount of water, fertilizer or prayers to the Gods of Green Things will makes your garden grow. Purchase seeds from somewhere well-known to you, like your local organic co-op, or go to a big store like Home Depot where the high volume of shoppers means the inventory is probably fresh. There are also many well-known online seed sellers, like Burpee. Just remember, this is no time to pick up a deal at a garage sale down the street!

If the seeds thing is stressful, skip this step and buy seedlings, which are plants that have been started for you.

Step Six - Water and Weed
A lot of gardening is about hanging around, making sure everything is neat and orderly (weeding) and getting enough water. Some folks consider this to be the best part: A reason to spend time outdoors, getting a little (but not too much, that's why you bought a hat) sun and fresh air.

Step Seven -- Harvest and Share!
If you've done everything right, after a reasonable period time your plants should bear fruit -- or vegetables or flowers, depending on what you planted! Imagine your pride when you sit down to a big meal and savor food you grew yourself. And it's always a treat to visit a gardener and leave with a big bag full of produce, so enjoy the chance to be generous, even to those light-fingered neighbors. They'll probably appreciate it the most!

Of course there's a bit more to it than what I've outlined here, but remember that gardening is a fun, easy and rewarding way to spend time with your family, or as a time out from the hustle of everyday life. Check out some of these helpful online resources for more information:

• BackyardGardener
• How to Grow A Garden
• The Helpful Gardner
• Weekend Gardener
• How To Grow a Vegetable Garden by Cynthia Rice
• How to Grow a Low-Maintenance Garden by C. Colston Burrell

Photo caption: First Lady Michelle Obama visited Sesame Street, Tuesday, May 5th, to tape a Public Service Announcement with Elmo as part of Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits For Life initiative. Mrs. Obama and her pal Elmo talked about eating right, exercising regularly and being a healthy and positive role model for children. (c) 2009 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.