The planting of Season II of the White House vegetable garden has also been the occasion to learn more about the garden's success during one of the worst winters in East Coast memory.

White House chef and Food Initiative Coordinatory Sam Kass reports that the winter garden produced about 50 pounds of lettuces, arugula, garlic, peas, turnips and carrots. And the time-lapse photography of the garden during the winter storms and during the spring melt is pretty cool.

The garden, described by Kass as "11-hundred square feet of pure joy," will grow by 500 square feet this year so more vegetable varieties can be grown. Among the new additions: bok choy, mustard greens and artcichokes, to be joined later by figs, corn, melons and pumpkins.