The Garden of my Dreams

I heard the bells of Saint Nicholas Day and old, familiar carols was playing in my house. Like every year, I was feeling that Saint Nicholas's miracle comes and fills with light and happiness my home.

"From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens: the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house and the garden of the mind's eye"  Katherine S. White

When I read this quote, my fantasy has flown away to the garden of my dreams.  I was thinking to some plants which I love, few of them featuring my gardens, others only my imagination:

The outdoor garden has little active growth, and has winter resistant herbs, typically for this season, with evergreen leaves and small flowers : Lavander, Rosemary; accent plants;  shrubs as Cotoneaster and  Heathers (with magenta and white flowers)

Magenta Heathers in snow

and some holly trees covered by bright red berries, which have deep green and spiky leaves as: Viburnum and Winterberry (Ilex Verticillata).

Winterberry in snow

Ilex Verticillata covered by snow

The garden of potted plants have been worshiped Christmas Days each year. They are symbols of cheer with vividly hues like Christmas Cactus in full bloom and Poinsettia . Poinsettia aka Euphorbia Pulcherrima means "very beautiful" and is a  perfect plant for Christmas Wreath. Christmas Cactus without blossoms isn't much to look at - but I'm happy that after a year, it is bringing back to full bloom. I was keeping them outside before winter frost and the Hummingbird feeds of the nectar of their flowers.

Christmas Cactus in  bloom

 


 





The garden of my dreams - is like a fairy lush garden year round (and has all types of plants: native, ferns, conifers, alpine, mediterranean, asian, even tropically :-) ).
It is kind of indoor botanical garden, a tranquil garden like a natural sanctuary where a koy pond with blooming aquatic plants sits nearby a bird bath with floating camellias and orchids.  (I took next pictures when I was in a short trip to Victoria Island, visiting Butchard Gardens and Butterfly Garden  - somehow can be used to detail how will look my dreaming garden) .

Butchard Garden, indoor plants

Hummingbirds, blue-jay and robins, fighting for private access to the birdbath, are chirping all the day, eating from feeders. The tall and graceful  Flamingo birds are walking slowly amongst colorful fish. Honeybees and fluttering butterflies inspect plants stalks and flowers, gathering pollen from the vivid flowerbeds along the stepping-stone path  that stops near a musical water-fountain...

Flamingo birds in daydreaming garden

My favorite spot where I'll daydream without guilt and my creative thoughts kick into overdrive is hidden in the Azaleas's shadow (blooming rhododendrons), in a large covered patio bordered on sides with  brightly colorful  and scented plants. Always in bloom, they have gold, silver, pink or redish variegated leaves with different textures (if you want to named them, is like playing a trivia game ...).
The sun is rising over this land of abundance as a tribute to illumination. The whooshing of wind over flowerbeds surround me with a burst of fragrances: rose, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, orange, thyme, coconut, apple, rosemary and cinnamon. Together with my plants I'm feeling the vibrations of sounds. I'm  listening the groaning of growing plants and the sound of rushing water or fanning wings flowing through the air. The ongoing sense of  perfection is going to be senseless behind the bust of this hidden gem of life.

I close my eyes and I lean my head back over the carved bench where my grandfather, once, told me ageless stories, filling my mind with joy, beauty and life reflexions .... I gathered sparks issued from my existence when I was reviewing the journals into my "dreaming garden" as I journeyed...

Butterfly Gardens - a dreaming garden 

I hope one day my dreams are coming true and  I'll transform my fantasy into a real garden!