Summer in the Backyard! + Engaged!

Well, hello there garden lovers!

Today I wanted to share with you a few peaks into my summer garden!

It's been quite a busy + exciting summer (my significant other of 5+ years proposed!)... and even though I haven't been updating this blog lately, I have definitely been gardening!

Lemon Queen sunflower

Totally a Pinterest-inspired scene... ha, love mason jars + wine!

Italian Genovese basil

Biggest zucchini I've ever seen!

I will be posting engagement photos very soon! We had them taken last week in Lake Arrowhead, CA... literally on the lake! It was an amazingly beautiful setting, and will in fact be the location of our wedding!

P.S. If you are wondering what I did with my giant zucchini... I made these!

Flourless Zucchini Brownies!
by Lindsay

*If you end up making them... you may want to add about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the recipe, so that they come out a dark chocolate-brown color. :)

Have a lovely day!

xoxo,
Ashley

High Desert Backyard in May!

Greetings garden lovers!

Today I wanted to (finally) get around to posting what has been growing in this Palmdale, CA backyard!

Keep in mind that Palmdale is in the high desert... so if things can grow here, I am betting you can create a backyard garden oasis almost anywhere!

Rose

Apparently this is way more fun than drinking out of the cat bowl!

Hungarian Wax Peppers

Rosemary

Another rose!

Delphinium

Emerald City Zucchini

Basil!

There were 40 strawberries between 2 small plants! (I think kelp powder is the secret...)

Tricolor Sage

My patriotic (Ron Paul) flower pot!

Snapdragon

Begonia

Lemon balm... grown from seed 2 years ago!

Love this cat!

Geranium

Mint... contained in a pot!

Lavender... hello aromatherapy!

Have a lovely weekend! I hope you get to spend time in the garden!

xoxo,
Ashley

Garden Update~ Pumpkin, Zucchini, & Tomatoes!

The heirloom pumpkin plant (from seed!) is growing like crazy, growing along the length of the brick planter! However, even though it has beautiful yellow blossoms... there are no pumpkins! And I am trying to figure out why! I've seen bees pollinating the flowers, the soil is decent. (I think?) It was the organic one from Lowe's. (Next year I will have compost!!) What else could it be? (Sigh)... I had to improvise:

This monster of a thing is the biggest zucchini I've ever seen! I was house-sitting for a few days, so I wasn't able to pay much attention to the garden. When I came home, there it was!! Growing stealthily under the gigantic leaves. Zucchinis seem to grow so quickly, they seem to appear out of nowhere!! I bet you could even there for a few hours and actually watch it grow! Perhaps now would be an ideal time to learn to make chocolate zucchini bread? :) Yum!!

As for the tomatoes: I have a feeling that tomato season is coming to an end... so I definitely appreciated them in a delicious salad yesterday!

Zucchini!

Today I picked a giant zucchini!!! The reason I am so excited is because it came from a seed! This was my first success with growing a plant from seed!

Another reason I am excited: it finally cooled off!!! I love fall more than any other season!! I am so happy! :) The cooler temperature is making me want to bake something in the kitchen... I am thinking zucchini bread? Or muffins? Hmmmmm... what else can I do with this zucchini...