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! 💚

Thank you for your visit.

8.2.2017

Clementines in San Remo






Hello all! Our correspondent in Italy has visited (very briefly) San Remo and has snapped some phone shots of the tasty fruit growing everywhere. :)




seaside mare



clementines Italy


Yes, at the seaside winter looks lovely. Let's see how it looks on the Po plain. (These photos were taken in December.)





I believe these colourful berries belong to Dioscorea communis. All the plant is poisonous.





Jos yllä oleva kasvi on Dioscorea communis, kuten luulen, sen nimi suomeksi on euroopankiiltoköynnös.











The days are becoming longer so fast! Instead of sitting indoors in front of the computer, I have been enjoying the sun. :) As always, will visit you as soon as I can. Hugs!





Aurinkoisia talvipäiviä!



6.2.2017

MWG goes botanical



Broad bean. Härkäpapu.




As you can see from the landscape photos I post, the garden now sleeps under the snow... and will continue sleeping until April. It's time to enjoy the refreshing greenness of plants with some old photos.

These photos show, in a random order, plants that are pretty, interesting and/or trendy. :) They haven't been taken in my garden. Most of them have been taken in Botania, the Botanic Garden of the University of Eastern Finland, in Joensuu. Botania is not only an important university level experiment station and an educational target for any school level but also a fascinating attraction to ordinary people.



White ash. Valkosaarni.
















Chia.




 Summer squash. Kesäkurpitsa.




Sage. Ryytisalvia.




Foxglove. Sormustinkukka.




Sweetleaf. Makeastevia.




Dutchman's pipe. Piippuköynnös.




Morning glory. Päivänsini.




Tree pelargonium.




Giant-rhubarb. Värigunnera.












Galega. Rohtovuorenherne.




Alpine delphinium. Isoritarinkannus.



4.2.2017

"I love you more than anything" - Finland 100 years



The year 2017 will mark Finland’s 100th anniversary as an independent state and the centennial year will be celebrated throughout 2017 all over Finland. The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) congratulates the 100 years old Finland with a lovely video.




The music you hear on the video is a beloved song called "Romanssi" (Romance), originally written for a romantic film in the 1940s and performed by Leif Wager. "I love you more than anything, you are my heaven on earth..." :)






Hyvää Runebergin päivää!






Halusin jakaa myös toisen linkin tänään: Uusintana esitetty Mökkipahasesta linnan saleihin (2013), Konginkankaalta Ruotsiin muuttaneen Raija Ohlinin tarina, on yksi vaikuttavimmista TV-ohjelmista pitkään aikaan. Ohjelma on katsottavissa Yle Areenassa neljän viikon ajan.

I dokumentären Från koja till slott får vi följa med hur Raija Ohlin mot alla odds men med finsk "sisu" lyckas förverkliga sina drömmar och bli ägare till ett kungligt slott. Samtidigt gör vi en tidsresa till Raijas fattiga och svåra barndom. Dokumentären kan ses utomlands.




Reposted: A small jar candle


This post, from February 2015, is one of my favourites and for some time I have wanted to republish it:

I wanted to try again something we used to do years ago: recycling old candle stubs - by melting them down in a pan and pouring the melted wax into a mould.






Minulla on postauksia jonoksi asti odottamassa, mutta halusin postata tämän jutun uudelleen. Uusia lukijoita on tullut vuoden 2015 helmikuun jälkeen, tämä on yksi omista suosikkipostauksistani  - ja näissä kuvissa on ehkä paras leikkotulppaanikimppu mitä meillä on nähty. Veljeni osti kukat äitimme syntymäpäiväksi ja ne kestivät kauniina pitkään ja kuihtuivatkin kauniisti. :)

Lapsena tehtiin uusia kynttilöitä sulattamalla vanhoja. Taisin usein tehdä niistä raidallisia. Tämä suklaa-pähkinädippiastiaan valettu on varmasti tyylikkäin tuotokseni. :) Alla oleva dippikuva on netistä.




I had perfect materials for this project, first of all a beautiful small glass container (with a lid), received from my brother for Christmas. In the picture below (from http://www.cuisineaddict.com/ achat-fondue-chocolat-noir-noisette-300-g-mazet-2818.htm) you can see what it contained originally. Yummy!

The diameter of the jar is only about 4 cm (and that made the task a little bit more difficult).
I had also these old stubs I wanted to use - of a beautiful, intense red colour. For this candle, I used the remaining wick of one of the old ones. (Wicks can also be made at home or purchased at hobby stores.)

You can use pieces of non-toxic crayons to add a little colour and/or essential oils to give your candles a scent.






What you do is very simple. Just break up some old candles, stick a few pieces in a saucepan, over a low heat, and stir until the candles have melted. Then pour the melted wax carefully in the mould or jar, preferably using a saucepan with a pouring spout.

In case you haven't tried this before, here are some useful tips:

For better results, don't mix different types of candles.

When filling the mould(s), reserve some of the wax. 
Once your candle is almost completely hard, you will notice a depression around the wick.
Pour the reserved wax into the dip to make the dip fill in.
If you want a completely even surface, you may need to repeat this. 

For your safety, heat the wax in a double boiler 
(in a large pan containing hot water, into which the smaller pan is set)!

Never leave unattended the pan containing melting wax!


Well, how did it go? The result is not perfect, but I'm rather satisfied with my elegant little candle. :)

It could be used as a gift for occasions such as Valentine's Day...







In February 2015,
I joined with this post:

Judith at Lavender Cottage Gardening
for Mosaic Monday
and
Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose
 for Roses of Inspiration.









A small curiosity, tomorrow will be "the day of the candle" in Finland. In the Finnish Lutheran Church, Candlemas (the presentation of Christ at the temple) is celebrated on the Sunday between 2 February and 8 February. This year it falls on the 5th. Traditionally, it was the day on which candles used in the church's worship during the year were blessed.







Wishing you a happy weekend!

Hyvää Runebergin päivää ja Kynttilänpäivää!





1.2.2017

Preparing for summer



lupins flowers vase



Eating ice cream in winter...?






Yes, because the ice cream sticks will be perfect plant markers. :)



ice cream sticks, popsickle sticks




Uni Posca Markers






Jäätelötikut olisivat tyylikkäitä nimikylttejä sellaisinaan, mutta koska käyttämäni tussi leviää käsittelemättömässä puussa, päätin värjätä tikut ensin maalikynillä. Jälki on peittävää ja tummaa. Kevyt hiominen hiekkapaperilla teki niistä sopivan kuluneen näköisiä. :)



plant labels, ice cream sticks



These weren't painted very well  -  and were printed even worse  -  but making them was fun. The next ones will look more elegant. :)

Seeing the labels, you can know what I'm going to sow...



impecta



There will be plants like this in my garden soon... :)



http://www.exoticgarden.fi/



Many of these photos were taken last summer. I wanted to photograph some of my favourite gardening things... My first ever book about gardening:






My best secateurs...



fiskars secateurs



Another favourite: "A hoe is an ancient and versatile agricultural and horticultural hand tool..." :)
We use this kind of hoe to plant trees as well.






Canon EOS 450D...  Such an important tool!



Canon EOS 450D



Wishing you all a happy and sunny February!

Ihanaa helmikuuta!



white petunia






EDIT: I had to add some information about Fiskars:

"Established in 1649 as an ironworks in a small Finnish village, Fiskars has grown to be a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors. Available in more than 60 countries, Fiskars products solve everyday problems, making daily home, garden and outdoor projects easier and more enjoyable through superior performance and design.

Our tools are made better and designed smarter — so you can work better and smarter. The essence of our product design philosophy is a concept we call empowering simplicity. We combine the four principles of thoughtful functionality, ease of use, simple design aesthetic and lasting quality. It’s our belief that all things, even the simplest, can be made better and smarter.

Fiskars has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars, Iittala and Gerber. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finland’s oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of EUR 748 million in 2012, and employs some 4,100 people in over 20 countries."