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The twists of life

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The twists of life

How a Dutchwoman in Tuscany and a Tuscan in the Netherlands ended up growing the same garden

The twists of life can be strange, but they teach us something simple: the world is beautiful because it is varied, and each of us can call home whichever place and country feels right.

I chose to leave Tuscany to live in the Netherlands. Esther chose exactly the opposite path: from the Netherlands, she moved to Greve in Chianti, in the heart of Tuscany, to build something of her own.

A garden with two passports

This would already be a lovely story. But fate, apparently, wasn't satisfied with just that.

Esther found my shop, here from the Netherlands, and chose to bring Dutch plants into her Tuscan garden. She planted them, cared for them, watched them grow — and today that garden is in full bloom: purple salvia drawing in butterflies, agapanthus lining the wooden walkway, delphiniums standing tall as children beside the pool.

A coincidence that couldn't be a coincidence

And as if that weren't enough, here comes the final piece. The opening of Villa Fioriamo, her holiday apartments in Montefioralle, takes place on Sunday, June 21st, the feast day of San Luigi.

My name.

I wrote it to her myself, the moment she sent me photos of the freshly planted garden: "Esther, now you'll remember me every year on this day."

Villa Fioriamo — the opening

If you're in Tuscany this weekend, everyone is welcome:

Villa Fioriamo, Via S. Cresci 36, Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti
Sunday June 21st, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Official toast at 4:00 PM — everyone welcome

Seven holiday apartments, carefully restored in keeping with the building's original character. A garden full of flowers and fruit trees. A pool overlooking the hills of Chianti. And somewhere among the flower beds, a few plants I chose myself, from here, for a garden I've never seen in person — but one I now know well.

The twists of life, indeed.

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