I think it’s about time for an update on my Whimsical Garden. Feel free to come along for a visit, and I promise you won’t get caught in a whimsical spider web!

One of the things I like best about my Whimsical Garden is the fact that I now have some solar lights in the back. As you can see in the picture above, I got some of them on sale.

If you look closely you can see my “Pinterest Project” watering can with the addition of lights. You may remember when I made this from Birdhouses Part 1. The only time I could get pictures that showed the lights and the yard was right at dusk. This is the view from the sliding door, looking through the breezeway.

As you might have noticed in the featured image for this post, I am still working on the “Talavera” stepping stones. They are so much fun to do! Except when it’s over 100 in the shade…

 

The cosmos didn’t last long, but for the most part the outdoor plants are doing pretty well. Who’s doing the best are the nopales. (They still don’t have names but I’m working on it.) I brought two cactus pads from Carlos and Kate’s and this is how much they have grown so far. Below them you can see the “parent cactus” in their yard from two different angles.

It will be fun to see if they ever get this big. I had some of these when I lived in a previous location, and they grew from single pads all the way to the window above the flower bed. (That was when I lived in an apartment, and I have often wondered if they are still there, or if a disgruntled landlord had to pull them out after I moved.)  You can cook with them, and back then I actually did. I found this  recipe online if you are interested in seeing how to do it.

We won’t mention how Sunny the sunflower “bit the dust”. (It’s a long story, you’ll have to trust me on this.) But I did plant some sunflower seeds nearby, which are doing nicely, and the surprisingly the chrysanthemum is doing awesome!

I moved the Sago palm from the front yard to the back awhile ago, because it was getting too much sun and not enough water. You can see that it’s starting to get green again.

I also put out more redwood mulch and some new rocks. They are called Mexican beach pebbles, and I used about 3 bags of them. I’m thinking I eventually need to put out one more bag. But for now I like it. 

 

As you can see my whimsical garden is still a work in progress. Be sure to check back and see where I plant my new succulent and dwarf bottlebrush.