The Green Garden is expanding to Surinam.

I never thought that a few cuttings from the Netherlands would make me think so much.

During our last trip to Surinam, we brought a number of cuttings from the Netherlands with us: lavender, lemon balm, sage, and calamondin. At first glance, just a few plants. But as we gave them a place in the garden of our wellness escape, I realized they represent something much bigger.

In the Netherlands, these plants are already part of The Green Garden. Our community garden where people come together, meet each other, and experience nature. In Surinam, The Green Garden takes on a different meaning. Here, the garden becomes part of our wellness escape. Not a place for the neighborhood, but a place where our guests can recover during their stay, surrounded by tropical greenery, fruit trees, and herbs.

What I find beautiful is that the same idea comes to life in two different ways. Not by making the two gardens the same, but by allowing them to align with the place where they exist .As the cuttings found their place among the existing plants, I also started to see what was already there with different eyes: the papaya tree, the banana tree, the guava tree, the marva plant, and all the other plants that have been part of this garden for many years. They reminded me that not everything needs to be new to be valuable. Sometimes you build on what is already growing.

I increasingly notice how important The Green Garden has become to me. Not only because I enjoy watching plants grow, but because it keeps showing me something about life. You cannot force a plant to grow faster. You can care for it, give it water, and create the right conditions. But in the end, nature determines its own pace. Perhaps the same is true for us.

In a time where everything seems to need to go faster, The Green Garden reminds me that rest is not the same as standing still. That growth often happens without you immediately seeing it. And that something that starts small, with time and attention, can grow into something far bigger than you ever imagined.

That is exactly what this project feels like.

What started as the renovation of a family home is slowly growing into a place where people will soon be able to rest, recover, and recharge. And just like the wellness escape, The Green Garden is growing step by step. Not everything is in full bloom yet. There is still a lot to do. But every new plant, every tree that continues to grow, and every harvest brings us closer to the place we envision.