Mars Farm Expands

The weather has been fantastic for the past week or so -- high 60's/low 70's, bright & sunny.

The bad news is that it made all the arugula bolt while I was on the east coast for a visit last week:

This is about a pound's worth. Maybe two.

The good news is that we now can make lots of arugula pesto! The other good news is that I now have lots of room to plant the swiss chard seeds my dad sent after I got back to Mars!

Saturday & Sunday this weekend were dedicated to gardening. Here's the garden, at about 8am Saturday morning:

The fava plants are about 4 feet tall, & have just started blooming:

I noticed today that the first planting of snap peas has just produced a few blossoms, as well!

Anyway, this weekend, I planted the swiss chard, and more spinach, beets, & carrots, but I spent most of my time weeding & cutting back some of the more ornamental plants edging the garden -- pretty, but starting to choke the vegetables. I also cleared out all kinds of grass & clover & stuff around the yellow roses & the herb garden I planted last year:

Dog guarding some more swiss chard, planted in planters picked up from the neighbor's "free" pile before they went off to travel in Bali for a year (!).

If anyone can identify that 3' tall bluish spikey plant on the left, please let us know. It just started growing there a couple months ago. We have no idea what it is.

Last year's herb garden:

Cala lillies that the previous owner had put in, towards the top of the picture; her borage (the purple flowers) & mint, on the right; our summer savory, sage, & thyme.

Meanwhile, it's finally time to put the pumpkins in! I cleared out the front yard of weeds & moved things around to make room a couple weeks ago:

The pumpkins belong in the far corner, next to the hydrangea, where the house & front stoop meet.

Sunday, I made a big old pumpkin hill, plus planted a ton of new radishes:

It's hard to make wet dirt look interesting, but there it is.

I also planted more swiss chard next to that spikey plant in the front.

So another week full of excitement, waiting for sprouts to poke through. Meanwhile, it's time to start harvesting leaves off the spinach & collards. Adrienne is going to make spinach risotto this week. I'll be sure to post a photo.