Better Homes and Gardens Michelle ObamaTalk about a departure for Better Homes and Gardens. The magazine's very name calls to mind quiet gentility. But add First Lady Michelle Obama to the mix, and what do you get? Major buzz. So much for the death of print, huh?

For the first time in nearly 50 years, the magazine your mom reads to get her "savvy design tips for under $50" and how to "create a backyard retreat" has put a famous face on its cover for the August 2011 issue. The first lady, perched on a picnic table in a summery blue floral dress and a yellow cardigan, is proclaimed in bright lettering as "Fresh & Healthy Michelle Obama." They couldn't have made a better pick.

Remember what happened when the Obamas moved into the White House? When Michelle Obama started digging in the dirt on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Gardening -- you know, half of the name of the magazine -- suddenly became cool again. From folks planning their own victory gardens to women trying to duplicate her outdoor duds.

Jackie Kennedy made redecorating the inside of one's house the thing to do in the '60s with her White House renovation, but Michelle has pushed the public outdoors. Because it isn't simply her garden. The emphasis on outdoor life has gone hand-in-hand with her Let's Move program, meant to get American kids -- and their parents --  off their couches and into action.

Likewise it's tied directly into the nutritional aspect of Mrs. Obama's fight against childhood obesity. Plant a garden with your kids, and the veggies themselves become cool again. What kid won't eat something they've cultivated with their own hands? Fill them up on the good stuff, and there's no room for the chips and soda. That's what she's talking about in Better Homes' August issue, giving tips meant to "Help American Families Eat Right" exactly where moms look for it. It's like a match made in heaven.

Do you think Better Homes and Gardens made a good choice? Will this get you to pick up the August issue?


Image via Better Homes and Gardens