It's a growing trend this year, partly because of the economy. Even the Obamas are doing it. We're talking about vegetable gardening.

This time of year, Mulhall's at 120th and Maple Streets is thriving, and gardeners like Mary Walton are anxious to be surrounded in green. "I bought a couple of these really large tomato plants because I'm anxious for them."

A vegetable garden will save Walton some green, but she's digging something else. "I save money, but it's the idea that they're just ongoing and always fresh and always right there outside the door - it's mostly the freshness."

Sharron Mead is hoping for a repeat performance this year from her tomato plants. About $5-worth two years ago produced big results. "Two years ago I planted two bushes, and I got between 450 and 500 grape tomatoes off those two bushes, so that's a lot of grape tomatoes."

It can be so easy. If you don't have the space, you can even plant in a container that doesn't take up a lot of space and you can move it wherever you'd like it.

Scott Evans with Mulhall's says, "vegetable gardening has been huge this year. A lot of people have been showing a lot of interest."

So what are some of the best bets? Evans says, "tomatoes and peppers do great here in Nebraska, corn, beans, peas, squash, your vine crops like watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers."

Planting tomatoes is easy. "You need to take the plant out of the pot and you're going to tease the bottom of the root system, and a lot of times you'll take off the bottom two branches and pot the tomato plant up the stem a couple of inches into the ground. That makes a plant sturdier."

A few more tips from Evans:
-- look for plants that don't have yellowing leaves.
-- pick flowers off plants when you initially plant them to help them establish their root systems.
-- remember to mulch.