White House Vegetable Garden heirloom seeds and 10 different herbs such as anise hyssop and Thai basil. Former presidents' favorite produce were also sown, such as President Thomas Jefferson’s preferred vegetables, “Brown Dutch and Tennis Ball lettuce, Prickly Seed spinach and Savoy cabbage” but beets were not grown because President Obama did not like them. Along with the vegetable garden, a beehive was added near the chef’s kitchen that is overseen by Charlie Brandts, a beekeeper and White House carpenter. Honey collected from the beehives has been used to brew White House Honey Ale. The contributing gardeners responsible for the early stages of the
Mesclun of mesclun sold approximates the traditional blend of chervil, arugula, leafy lettuces and endive, depending on the season, anywhere from a dozen to three dozen different varieties of baby greens, including red and green oak leaves, romaine and lolla rossa lettuces, frisée, tatsoi, bok choy (joi choi), arugula, spinach, orach, mizuna, dandelion, mustard greens and garden cress may comprise what is commercially referred to as a "Spring mix". When available, locally grown, direct-from-the-farmer sourcing is recommended over commercial bulk packs for best flavor and freshness. Mesclun Mesclun () is a mix of assorted small young salad greens that originated in