As the days grew shorter and the Arnica Acker showed its abundance one last time, we came together to celebrate the end of the gardening year. With movement, a walk through the garden, autumn dishes, regional natural wines and music on vinyl.

We began the afternoon with a Pilates class in the glasshouse. Mindful movement, strength and breath helped us slow down and reconnect with the body – fitting for a season in which nature, too, gradually begins to rest.

Afterwards, Samuel and Ayla guided us through the Arnica Garden. They spoke about permaculture, the rhythm of the seasons and how what grows just outside Villa Arnica finds its way into the kitchen.

To finish, we gathered around the fire and long tables. There was grilled pumpkin and pumpkin soup, venison goulash with polenta from the wood-fired oven, and freshly roasted chestnuts. Regional natural wines were poured while DJ and vinyl collector Boris Plücken accompanied the autumn evening with music.

It was an afternoon for friends, neighbours and guests of the Villa – and a shared celebration of everything the garden had given us throughout the year.