As the storm raged outside, something remarkable began to happen…

ONE DAY GETAWAY – The Secret Garden | Autumn Edition 25 October 2026

Sometimes a special day begins with the question of whether everything can go ahead at all.

A few days before my third One Day Getaway, I was still nervous about it.

Storms Austen and Boelo kept the Netherlands quite busy that weekend. The wind howled across the Brabant countryside, rain lashed against the windows, and everything I had so carefully prepared seemed undone in an instant.

There I stood. Weeks of preparation and BAM! Nature clearly had its own plans. 😂

For me, preparing doesn't just mean setting out tables, doing the shopping, or gathering materials. It often begins weeks earlier, somewhere in my head. Images, ideas, moods, and unexpected connections take shape there. They aren't always visible to others, but for me the creative process has long since begun.

After two summery editions of my One Day Getaway, The Secret Garden was finally allowed to dress in autumn colors for the first time.

A garden that moves with the seasons

What was a delightful green place in summer, with long days and the swimming pool as its shining center, slowly transformed into a world of warm colors, branches, moss, pumpkins, and little lights.

My old grape greenhouse was given a new purpose and became the Botanical Atelier. A place where the grapevines still find their own way, but where there is now also room for art, creativity and workshops.

Under the veranda, the banana plants made way for autumn branches, atmospheric lighting and a small fire. The dress of my Wishing Tree was given a new place there for a while.

Among the birch trees lay the Path of Longing, covered in soft moss and fallen leaves, ready to be walked. But meanwhile, I kept checking the weather forecast.

Wasn't it too cold in the greenhouse? Was there enough space? And if the wind blew this hard again, was it really wise to sit with a group of women in a glass studio? Fortunately, my years of experience with festivals and performances, often outdoors, have taught me to think ahead not only creatively but also practically. So there were alternatives. And alternatives to those alternatives. 😉

Seven women, seven stories

On Sunday, October 25, the day had finally arrived. Six women came to my Secret Garden in Hoeven. Including me, we were seven.

Seven women, each with their own background, experiences, desires and stories. What I find so special is that One Day Getaway is now also building connections with the PUTITON network. During an earlier edition I had the pleasure of welcoming, among others, Sandra Lagace and Lidija Poth, both connected to PUTITON. And at this Autumn Edition, Nancy Maljers was also present. Nancy is the wife of Michel Maljers, co-founder of PUTITON, and his support and anchor. How wonderful that someone so closely connected to this network now came to experience for herself the day I am trying to create with One Day Getaway?

Because that is where something essential lies for me. Within a network, we often meet through our work, businesses, ambitions, or interests. But what happens when we set those roles aside? When you don't have to be the entrepreneur, partner, coach, or professional, but simply yourself? Then, sometimes, very different conversations emerge.

Nature as the starting point

Along the soft birch path, between the trees, past places where I had already gathered so many stories and symbols myself. We were searching for small treasures from nature. A leaf, a twig, a peculiar shape, something that caught our attention. And now and then a few fat raindrops fell from the clouds. Oh well, after all, it was autumn!

What never ceases to amaze me is how differently people look when they don't have to go anywhere for a moment. A walk becomes an expedition of discovery. An ordinary leaf takes on meaning. An object calls up a memory. And sometimes a remarkable conversation grows out of something very small.

A table full of stories and homemade treats

After our walk, it was time to go inside. There, in a warm autumn atmosphere, I had set the table and my elaborate homemade lunch was ready.

Anyone who knows me a little knows that I love welcoming people and serving them something delicious. And yes, here too, the creating often starts days earlier! There was a delicious carrot and pumpkin soup with coconut, homemade hummus, and an ovenproof dish of grilled vegetables, colorful rainbow carrots and beautiful mushrooms, including button mushrooms and chanterelles. And of course all sorts of other treats.

All homemade, with care and love for the ingredients. The candles were burning, the table was beautifully set, and meanwhile the conversations simply carried on. From light and cheerful to personal and moving.

There was laughter. There was listening. Experiences were shared. And to close off the lunch? A delicious cup of coffee with an apple crumble tart and fresh fruit. That was homemade too. Because for me, a lunch like this is not just a break between activities. It is part of the whole experience. Eating together, taking time, enjoying, and all the while getting to know each other a little better.

Art without right or wrong

After lunch we moved to the Botanical Atelier, where we were going to create for ourselves. With paint, brushes, natural materials and, above all, our own imagination. No masterpiece had to come about. Nobody had to be able to paint. And there was certainly no competition over who would make the most beautiful result. Each woman worked from her own feelings, her own story and her own way of seeing.

And that didn't just produce different artworks, but also beautiful conversations, surprising insights, and moments of recognition. As an artist, I think that may be one of the most beautiful aspects of creativity. Art can make visible something for which we sometimes don't yet have words. It isn't always about the end result. Sometimes it's the process itself that is the discovery.

Words that linger

At the end of the day, I received responses that touched me deeply. One woman told me that she had finally found her way back to herself. Another had experienced that she was able to step past a personal fear. And someone told me that she had gained insights she wanted to treasure for a long time. And that she had finally been able to play outside again, something that had been on her list for so long.

Those aren't small things to me. And yet it wasn't a heavy day. Quite the opposite! There was so much fun, lightness, wonder, and warm coziness.

That particular combination is what I find important.

Depth doesn't have to be heavy. And fun doesn't have to stay superficial.

Mulled wine, fire, and an extraordinary farewell

As the day slowly gave way to evening, we gathered under the veranda around the fire.

The lights were glowing, the autumn air was crisp, and we lingered for a while, enjoying a lovely glass of warm glühwein.

We laughed, talked things over, and looked back on everything we had experienced that day.

Each participant also received their own Notebook 2 Myself, featuring a small original artwork by my own hand. A personal little book in which to keep thoughts, memories, and perhaps even new desires.

And then came the moment of farewell.

What touched me perhaps the most were the warm hugs that were exchanged.

Women who did not know each other at all that morning said goodbye at the end of the day as if something familiar had taken shape between them.

And actually, that was also the case.

A connection had been established.

Not because it had to. Not because it was on the schedule.

But because there had been space to truly meet each other.

And I think that might be the most beautiful gift of a day like that.

I was one of those seven women too

What I'm increasingly discovering myself is that One Day Getaway is not just something I organize.

It's also something I'm part of myself.

I am the creator, the maker, the hostess. But I am also one of the women at the table.

I too listen, learn, discover, and take new insights with me.

And that makes every edition different.

My Secret Garden is not a place where I tell people how to live or what they should change.

It is a place where nature, art, and stories meet. Where there is room for everyone's own pace, and where nothing has to, but a lot is allowed.

What began as a first summer edition in July grew through August into this third meeting in October.

Three editions. Three different atmospheres. And so many remarkable stories.

Connection does not stop on a network

What I like about PUTITON is that people can discover and meet each other through the platform.

But how special is it when that connection also grows beyond the platform?

When members don't just follow each other online or talk at an event, but spend a whole day together, create something, and get to know each other in a different way?

With the arrival of Sandra, Lidija, and now Nancy too, I have been able to experience how those worlds can strengthen each other.

Not out of a business obligation, but out of curiosity, trust, and sincere interest.

And maybe that's exactly what I most want One Day Getaway to create.

A day that passes, but from which you take something that lasts longer.

Outside, the storms could rage as they liked. Inside, warmth, trust and connection arose.

And no weather forecast can compete with that. 😉

Thank you to all the women who made this Autumn Edition so special with their presence, stories, and creativity.

And of course, a warm thank you to Nancy, Sandra and Lidija for their interest and participation from the PUTITON network.

I look back in wonder, and meanwhile I'm already dreaming about what the next season might bring.

Because The Secret Garden changes.

And we change along with it.

Love

Ismene

ONE DAY GETAWAY – The Secret Garden

Created & hosted by Ismène Elbers

Where art, nature & stories meet.