Welcome to Villa Emilia (My Woodland Garden), a photography blog with a slant towards gardening and nature. An amateur gardener and photographer, I hope to share beautiful moments with you through pictures. Let me know if you like them! ❤

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19.1.2016

A wish, a dream, and a promise





A good title, isn't it? (It brings to my mind The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.)  The title and this post have been inspired by the lovely post Toive, unelma ja lupaus vuodelle 2016 (and the related challenge) on the wonderful Ruusunmekko Garden blog. Many Finnish garden bloggers have already written posts about their wishes for the new gardening year... posts accompanied by truly enchanting photos.

I have been posting almost every day recently. I still wanted to publish this post, because it has been waiting for some time already. Now I'll slow down and concentrate on visiting and commenting...




Dreams are pink (and rosy), aren't they?




At the moment, I wish especially that the plants (mine and yours) would survive this harsh and capricious winter. The temperatures have been around -30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) for quite a while and and in the beginning there was very little snow. We are lucky to live near a lake, however; there was a layer of snow (very light and fluffy) on the ice, and armed with a snow shovel, a large plastic tub and a pink plastic sled, I collected some to protect the most delicate plants. I had tried to protect them using dry leaves, burlap etc., but the weather conditions have been more challenging than expected. Fortunately, we finally received some more snow.

We'll see. Gardeningwise, last spring and summer weren't very successful  and one was hoping for a better year. Otherwise,  I will need to start to recycle old photos from the previous years (oh no!).




I'm dreaming of my present/future garden looking a little bit like my previous garden, lush and vigorous, but also something more... magical. A garden with climbing roses, hidden meadows with wildflowers, and secret paths out to the woodland beyond. A garden where fairies come at light summer nights and plant seeds picked from distant enchanted forests and where in moonlit winter nights wood sprites and hares dance in a circle. :)







I promise to try to choose the right plants to the right place, considering our climate, the soil, light requirements, the cold and wind tolerance... and I  promise to ignore this promise if, in my pursuit of beauty, I meet something completely irresistible, like honeysuckles. I promise, however, to try to make all my plants happier.







Even though the new year is already well on its way, it's good to pause and reflect on the goals to set for the next months.

Many of you already know Donna's inspiring blog Living From Happiness. Just before the New Year, Donna chooses a word to guide her through the coming year. Her word for this year is "Innovate". You can read her thoughts about inspiration, change, and creativity for example in these interesting posts: Innovation in 2016 and My Manifesto: An Innovative Life in 2016.

"For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning." (T.S. Eliot)










Wishing you bright and cheerful winter days...
as well as beautiful but not too hot days
to the friends on the southern side of the globe!


28 kommenttia:

  1. My dear, dear friend! Your words here are bliss for my soul! I adore your garden thoughts....magical is exactly what I aspire to for my garden....and oh the pink roses are balm for my winter chapped skin right now. I thank you for sharing my blog and picture! And I wish you a wonderful winter with delights and warm dreams!!


    Much Love,

    Donna@GardensEyeView
    and LivingFromHappiness

    VastaaPoista
  2. Hello, lovely post and images. I am dreaming of some warm spring days now! It is cold out there. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your new week!

    VastaaPoista
  3. Sara I had to come back to check that I knew you were the right blogger from your comment you left. What a treat to see these amazing pink roses (pink is a favorite of mine : ) .. we too have had biting temps .. -18 C this morning but thankfully enough snow I hope to insulate my garden babies.
    I love your description of what you hope your garden can be and thinking of a word to carry you through the garden season .. perfect !
    I will have to think of one now and I am sure everyone that responds here will be on the same thought wave ... imagine how much positive energy this will generate!
    Thanks ! Joy : )
    PS .. we live in proximity of Lake Ontario so we have a lot of what they call "Lake Affect" .. meaning snow ? LOL

    VastaaPoista
  4. Lovely post and a wonderful title A wish, a dream and a promise ... sounds very intriguing and magical :)

    VastaaPoista
  5. Beautiful post and pictures. Hope your dream of a lovely garden comes true. Have a blessed day. Madeline

    VastaaPoista
  6. I love your rosy dreams and roses! I live more south but the plants are usually very strong and survive through the winter frosts. I do wish the best for your plants! It takes years to grow our dream garden. But the time pursuing that goal is filled with joy and happines coming from little successes. Do enjoy the road!

    VastaaPoista
  7. Tämä oli niin ihana lukea! Toteutuukoon unelmasi! Unelmien puutarhaasi muista kestävät punakukkaiset koristeomenapuut, ne eivät pakkasista hätkähdä. Ja ns. kotimaiset ruusut. Muakin hirvittää vähän nämä pakkaset, muistan kun olin ihan pieni ja 80-luvulla oli karmeita yli 30 asteen pakkasia ja moni kasvi kuoli :( Nyt toivotaan kuitenkin parasta vielä. Jospa talvenselkä taittuisi pian. Oletko itse kutonut tumput? Kauniit ovat, töissä joku myy mummelin kutomia tumppuja, aika samannäköiset. Kympin maksavat, ei paha minusta. Mukavia tammikuisia päiviä toivotellen vielä

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Kiitos, Sametti Hortensia, ja kiitos hyvistä vihjeistä! :)
      1980-luvulla oli tosiaan kylmiä talvia. On selailtu taulukkoja ja Ilmatieteen laitoksen mukaan 1985 tammikuun kuukausikeskilämpötila Kuusamossa oli -29,7 °C. Se onkin ennätys...
      Tumput on itsekudotut. Tosiaan kympillä saa kauniita käsintehtyjä sukkia ja lapasia, mutta kutominen vain on niin ihanan rentouttavaa.
      Oikein mukavaa viikkoa!

      Poista
  8. What a lovely pink post on this cold winter day. I hope your garden dreams come true this year. Love the pretty pink and black mittens!! xx Pam

    VastaaPoista
  9. Hello Sara! What a wonderful hopeful post. Just rosy with promise & such beautiful posies & delicate blooms!
    Hopefully you will be posting in a few months time about all the new flowers springing up in your gardens!

    VastaaPoista
  10. Aw lovely flower photos and a beautiful post to read :)

    VastaaPoista
  11. Oh Sara! Gardens are built on dreams! I think it is impossible to be a gardener without being a dreamer... You have a beautiful vision for your garden! And I do hope your plants survive. I read somewhere that next's year's garden will always be better than this year's. <3

    VastaaPoista
  12. It IS a good title Sara. It is a bitterly cold windy day here and I've so enjoyed your beautiful garden dreams, wishes and blooms. Thanks for a breath of spring!

    VastaaPoista
  13. colour like that is needed at these times of year. Got down to -5 or so last night, didn't harden the ground for my very muddy run though.

    VastaaPoista
  14. Kiitos, kun vastasit haasteeseen. Ja vieläpä näin kauniin kuvin ja sanoin. Toivon, että unelmasi ja toiveesi toteutuvat. Lupauksethan on tehty rikottaviksi ;)

    VastaaPoista
  15. I wish, your garden dream comes true for 2016 dear friend ♥
    Big hugs

    VastaaPoista
  16. A lovely post & blooms to match x

    VastaaPoista
  17. How I loved this wonderful post, -30 degr.C. is awful cold, hope your plants survive.
    I'm dreaming about dancing hares in my garden.....

    VastaaPoista
  18. For those of us with cold and snowy winters, it is the perfect time to dream. I have changes in mind for this year and jot them down in a gardening journal when the ideas come to me. No garden however perfect remains that way as they are always in transition but the negative aspects allow for opportunities.
    We have enough snow coverage now but plants were thinking it was spring around Christmas and I wonder what damages spring will reveal. Oh well, many of mine are native plants and know how to take care of themselves.
    I love the mittens - did you make them Sara?

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Thank you, Judith! :) Yes, the mittens were made by me. I usually knit when I'm watching TV. Calm and quiet programmes are the best for the knitting rhythm and the result; recently I noticed that for example "Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" was a little bit too eventful. :)

      Poista
  19. Garden dreaming is the perfect winter activity. I'm hoping for a better garden than last year. I'd like to move some things around and certainly have more rose plants. Pinterest is a great place for ideas for dreaming!
    I hope your plants survive with all the care you are giving to them.

    VastaaPoista
  20. You have lovely dreams....I am enchanted. It is always nice to dream.. Wishing your gardening dreams come true. <3 xo Karen

    VastaaPoista
  21. Sara I loved the title of your post & yes if only all our hopes & dreams would come true in our gardens. They would be perfection.
    Keep warm & happy gardening.
    May all your blooms be spectacular :)

    VastaaPoista
  22. Ihania, ihania kukkia ja värejä <3 Toivottavasti kasvit selviää talven kylmyydestä ja ensi kesästä tulee paras puutarhavuosi ikinä =)

    VastaaPoista
  23. Some beautiful flower images that conjure up the romantic garden that we all dream of. May your wishes come true for the gardening year 2016. Meanwhile keep warm and continue dreaming and planning.

    VastaaPoista
  24. Boa tarde, Um desejo, um sonho, e uma promessa, é um titulo perfeito, sonhos são necessários, faz parte de todos, concretizar os mesmos é difícil mas possível.
    As imagens são encantadoras.
    AG

    VastaaPoista
  25. Kiitos ihanainen Sara♥
    En ole tullut koskaan kiittäneeksi sinua siitä, kun niin ystävällisesti vinkkasit minulle, tuoreelle bloggaajalle näistä kivoista kuvahaasteista. Ne ovat laajentaneet maailmankuvaani ja saaneet minut opettelemaan valokuvaamista. Kiitos kaunis - parempi myöhään kuin ei milloinkaan!

    VastaaPoista


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