Adopt a Crop: Let's call it Rocket, then.

I guess all y'alls voting fingers are still primed from the recent election because, even though I was expecting a much lighter turn out for the Winter Edition adopting, a good amount of voting still took place.

You love lettuce in the winter time! I knew it!

Anyway.

66 votes came in total (vs 101 for the summer crop adoption) and the majority went to Arugula/Rocket/Roquette/Whaddyacallit.

YAY!

Arugula!

In winter time!

We'll see...

I mean, I planted the arugula this weekend, in addition to the much anticipated fava beans, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up even though I think I did a pretty amazing job not keeling over as I turned the garden from this:

To this:

Also, please keep in mind that I ran 6 miles first and it was annoyingly warm for no good reason. Yes, The Weather has been trying to fool us into thinking that we took a really long nap and woke up back in summer time. It was 80 degrees here over the weekend and, while that normally would make me super happy because I can wear my flip-flops without ridicule, it did not.

It did not make me happy because I got up to run at a normal hour (read: not 5am) in the "cool fall weather" and then had plans to work in the yard in long sleeves and got foiled on both counts because it was friggen summertime this weekend even though the calendar clearly says, "November".

Damn lying calendar.

But I forged ahead. I was determined to get the garden ready for winter even if it meant that I had to sweat like it was summer to do it.

So, still wearing my sweaty sports bra and some short sleeves (despite the ickiness that I JUST KNEW was going to touch me AND THEN DID touch me - ICK), I set out for the back .40 to tear me down some tomato plants.

And then the pumpkin plant.

And then all the basils.

And then the beans.

And then the wall of marigolds (UGLY).

And finally, the crown jewel in my tear down: The Chard.

Goodbye The Chard. You are a fucker and I will never grow you again. Plus, you had a lot of icky bugs on you that touched my nekkid arms. BLECH.

Whatever. After all the tearing down, all that was left was the nasturtium in the two tomato beds (which will turn to compost after one hit of frost) and the strawberries. And also - the best part of the tearing down - the final harvest.

We are the Last Mohicans of the 2008 garden:
2 dozen green tomatoes
A lot of basil
A big bouquet of nasturium (not shown)

Once the final harvest was taken inside and given a hose down, boring things had to happen in the yard about which I will not bore you.

Basically, there was some turning of soil, some amendment adding, some compost piling, some wrestling down of wire cages that tried to poke out my eyes and the filling of the yard waste bin to beyond printed weight limitations.

Also, there was Winter Sweating, which is totally unacceptable.

By about 1pm though, there was this:

Hi, I'll be your lettuce for the winter. Nice to me you.

Beneath this very technical Anti-Frost device (a sheet of weedblock gets thrown over the top when The Frost comes), your delectable and peppery arugula is planted safely and according to packet instructions. Or close to it anyway.

And let's all begin hoping that the weather cools off around here so that I don't have to explain to this half packet of cool weather arugula seeds why November = Bikini Weather in Northern California.

Really, now.

35 days to harvest - start your timers.