Shriver starting garden at Calif. Capitol

SACRAMENTO, May 21 (UPI) -- U.S. first lady Michelle Obama gave the White House a vegetable garden and now California first lady Maria Shriver is doing the same for her state's Capitol.

Shriver, who has promoted the creation of gardens at schools across the state, will plant the first edible garden on the Capitol grounds in Sacramento Thursday, her office said in a news release.

Since Shriver has taken up the cause of using edible gardens as a learning experience for children, the number of gardens at California schools has doubled from 3,000 to 6,000.

"WE Garden in Capitol Park" will help inform Californians about how gardens teach not only students but people of all ages about nutrition, healthy living, agriculture, science, history and service, Shriver's office said.