The Obamas' edible garden is the first presidential garden since Eleanor Roosevelt's World War II-era victory garden. As the entire country is looking to the Obamas as trendsetters, the arugula planted where green turf used to be is indicative of the sustainable gardening movement's pervasiveness. Growing your own food has been slowly shifting from an eccentric liberal habit to a mainstream reality. And despite what you may think, when American households grow together they have real potential to make an impact. For example, in 1943, 20 million houses followed Eleanor Roosevelt's lead and grew 40% of America's fresh produce. And though we haven't yet harvested this year's garden, we are guessing that the current generation of greenthumbs is going to make the wartime gardeners proud.

Furthermore, seed sales are already up across the country, with Home Depot reporting that seed packet sales in January were "up in the high double digits." And of those Americans planting, many are opting for organic veggies like the Obamas - although it should be noted that organic seeds are more likely to appeal to young idealistic trendsetters or older affluent and educated gardeners. Some companies are picking up on this trend and are already incorporating it into their marketing strategies: Campbell's Soup is, for the first time in its more than 100 year history, making the seeds used for their soup tomatoes available to the public; seeds are available for free (with proof of purchase) at a dedicated website. Teaming up with groups like Urban Farming Inc., Campbell's is spearheading an initiative to grow more than one billion tomatoes across the country.

People are not only looking to grow their own, but they are also entering virtual discussions, blogging about, or joining groups related to gardening. What's interesting is that these gardening groups and blogs increasingly share less in common with superwoman Martha Stewart and more with the everyday person. Relatable blogs like Gardenrant.com are a great resource for gardeners who are "bored with perfect magazine gardens" and want to "have a hell of a lot of fun."