Recently, she has also tried to grow strawberries in pots, and harvested the first batch of strawberries. Other than saving money spent to buy vegetables from the market, her family is able to eat fresh and safe green vegetables.
“I can actualize my hobby of farming by gardening. What I like most is that I can reap the fruits of labor and relieve stress after working days at the office," said Ms. Trang.
A corner of Phuong Trang's vegetable garden
From vegetables on the terrace, she also artistically creates "home-grown" vases of flowers and shares them with everyone on the social network. Her friends and relatives all want to take a look at the small garden when visiting her home, and also learn Ms. Trang’s experience in gardening.
There is another garden on the terrace, which is planted with dozens of colorful pots of flowers. It is the garden of Ms. Dieu Hien living in Dong Ba Ward, which looks like a corner of miniature Da Lat. By putting in a swing and a table in the garden, this place becomes an ideal reading corner and a "check-in" spot for her friends and children. The terrace of about 20 square meters is filled with fragrance and colors. She has brought home flowers with small trunk such as rose, pentunia, and orchid, etc., and planted them in pots.
“As the garden is small, I have to calculate properly. In this flower garden, I often fertilize it with microbiological tablets and water it. The garden has brought joy for my whole family to enjoy our daily life,” said Ms. Hien.
Vegetables are freshly harvested from the garden
The trend of designing gardens on terrace, roof, and hanging gardens... has been in vogue for about a decade now in Vietnam. With the rapid urbanization, designs to “greening” houses and living spaces are gradually interested in and increasingly brought into life, connecting subjects with nature in narrow urban spaces.
Green trees, light, sun and wind blending together also help regulating the microclimate in the house. Both newly built and renovated houses can be brought in green spaces, depending on the reasonable arrangement of the yard, balcony, and roof, etc.
Architect Hoang Viet Hung, from Cote Architects architectural office (Hue City), has given some advice on implementing the green spaces in buildings: “For new buildings, it requires detailed architectural designs. The structure needs intensify strength bearing capacity for the floors, where large trees are grown on, as well as waterproofing, and trees have to be grown appropriately... For the work of renovating the terrace into vegetables (small trees) gardens, it is necessary to strengthen waterproofing solutions by using layers of waterproof membrane, and solutions for drainage of the bottom surface. Last but not least, it is necessary to grow trees in accordance with the structural layers”.
There are a number of units on the market that provide models of planting trusses, pots, and irrigation systems suitable for each house; and the homeowners are spoiled for choice. From the perspective of cultivation, an agronomist has given advice on planting, and creating gardens on the terrace. Accordingly, homeowners should choose short-term varieties, which need little care and have short harvest period; soil for planting vegetables must be clean, and mixed with coconut fiber and rice husk, etc., fertilizers for these gardens can be microbial ones or compost, and be used once to twice per month; the gardens should be watered regularly in the morning…
Greening living space with green designs is the choice of many families. This trend contributes to create natural space, relieving psychology and creating the cohesion for family members. Depending on your ability and interests, you can ask for the experience of the pioneers or experts in this sector in selecting the appropriate models.
Story: LINH TUE
Photos: L.TUE - Provided by the characters in the story