It is election season and passions run high, so for those of you ready to complain about the costs to the taxpayers of the vegetable garden at the governor's official residence in Annapolis, relax.

It is pretty much free.

The seeds for the vegetables were donated, and the residents and students at the Providence Center germinated them and tended them until it was time for transplanting.

The work of planting and weeding the garden is done by volunteers from the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners program, who spend several hours at the beginning and end of each season to set the garden and then take it down, but who only have to drop by for 15 minutes or a half an hour a week during the season to keep it weeded.

The seed for the cover crop of rye and oats that will protect and improve the garden this winter was donated as well.

All that's left to pay for is the water, and the Government House staff collects rain water in rain barrels. So whatever water travels through the soaker hoses is certainly offset by the water collected from the sky.

And then, of course, there are all those free vegetables.

Master Gardener Sarah Findlay of Crownsville volunteers her time to tend to the vegetable garden at the governor's mansion in Annapolis

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer