A family in Ho Chi Minh City has turned their rooftop into a 'miniature farm' full of vegetables and fruits. In particular, the garden is always full of colorful lilies and has more than 10 unique lemon varieties.
A family in Ho Chi Minh City has turned their rooftop into a 'miniature farm' full of vegetables and fruits. In particular, the garden is always full of colorful lilies and has more than 10 unique lemon varieties.
Every morning, Ms. Nguyen Phuong Anh (43 years old, Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City) wakes up very early, goes to the rooftop garden to water the plants and prune the leaves.
Over the past few years, her family's 150m2 rooftop has been "transformed" into a miniature farm. The plastic containers and pots below are filled with leafy vegetables such as water spinach, Malabar spinach, mustard greens, lettuce, and herbs. On the trellis are hanging squash, gourds, pumpkins, various types of melons, and cantaloupes.
The garden even has corn, foreign figs, persimmons, and pink guavas. The whole family can freely harvest them to serve fresh, clean meals or give to friends and relatives.
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| Every summer, the garden produces a bumper crop of melons. |
"Since gardening, I have reduced a lot of pressure in my life, limiting expensive and unnecessary pleasures such as shopping and beauty treatments. I also have more friends with the same passion across the country, sharing experiences about green and positive living," Ms. Phuong Anh shared.
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| Ms. Phuong Anh's daily relaxing space |
Not only is Ms. Phuong Anh’s rooftop garden full of fruits and vegetables, it is also always full of colorful flowers, especially lilies. Ms. Phuong Anh estimates that from 2012 to now, she has successfully grown nearly 1,000 different lily varieties. Before having a rooftop garden, she grew this flower on her balcony.
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| Pots of lilies blooming on the terrace and balcony of Ms. Phuong Anh's house |
"Foreign lily varieties, most of them cannot bloom on their own in the climate of Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, when growing this type of flower, I have to influence the plant to bloom at the right time: Pull the flower bulbs out of the pot, dry them in the shade, then 'refrigerate' them in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks to stimulate flowering," she said.
Ms. Phuong Anh often grows and cares for lilies, then harvests and makes them into wedding bouquets to give to friends and relatives. This flower is not only beautiful, with many different colors and shapes, but also symbolizes pure love and lasting happiness.
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| Wedding bouquets made by Ms. Phuong Anh from lilies in her garden |
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| Rooftop garden is full of flowers all year round |
According to her, more than 10 years ago, many varieties of lilies from Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia... were very expensive, up to thousands of USD. However, currently, Dutch commercial flower varieties are imported in a variety of quantities at reasonable prices, around 150,000-500,000 VND/bulb.
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| Flowers in full bloom, fruit hanging on the terrace |
In addition to her passion for conquering different varieties of lilies, Ms. Phuong Anh also loves collecting lemon varieties.
"When I was little, my grandfather had a yellow lemon tree he brought back from the Soviet Union. The tree bore many beautiful fruits, which left a lasting impression on me. Later, when I gardened, I collected different varieties. Up to now, I have successfully grown more than 10 varieties such as Meyer, Lisbon, Eureka, Ponderosa lemons...", she said.
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| Lemon tree full of fruit |
Her favorite lemon varieties are Sweet Lime and Spanish because they are sweet and can be squeezed for juice. “Before, when I watched foreign movies, I saw people often squeeze lemons to drink directly. At that time, I thought they were so good at drinking sour drinks. Later, I learned that there is a type of lemon that is not sour at all, but has a sweet and pleasant aroma.”
Another impressive lemon variety is the Ponderosa, a cross between a grapefruit and a lemon. "The lemon can be as big as a Nam Roi grapefruit. Many people who see it for the first time don't believe it's a lemon," said Phuong Anh.
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| "Super big" Ponderosa lemon in Ms. Phuong Anh's garden |
The most difficult lemon variety to care for for Ms. Phuong Anh is the pink-fleshed marble lemon. This is a woody plant with a not-too-tall size, many branches and a wide canopy, so it is very popular as an ornamental plant. The leaves are not a pure green color but a harmonious combination of yellow and green.
The lemons are also very beautiful in color. The fruit is large, juicy, has a strong aroma, and contains a lot of essential oils. "This lemon variety is difficult to flower, the leaves are easily burned, and must be planted in a scattered manner. Up to now, I have not been able to successfully conquer the tree to produce fruit," she said.
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| Lemons often have a very pleasant aroma. |
Ms. Phuong Anh often mixes soil for growing lemons, including clean soil, soil improvement materials such as Perlite, Pumice (volcanic pumice), and processed worm/cow manure. "This soil mixture is loose, rich in nutrients, and does not retain water during the rainy season, so it reduces the heavy load on the ceiling/balcony of townhouses," she said.
In addition, to keep the lemons flowering and bearing fruit, she must prune and care for the trees after each harvest; regularly observe and detect pests and diseases to treat them promptly using safe biological methods.
Every day, she often picks fresh lemons in the garden to mix with honey to make a drink. During harvest season, she washes the lemons, slices them thinly, and soaks them with ginger and rock sugar to treat coughs and colds. When she has time, she will slice the lemon peel, add a little ginger to make jam, and eat it with green tea, which is very delicious.
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| For more than 10 years, Ms. Phuong Anh has also grown about 50 different varieties of jujubes. This is a fruit that her family loves very much. However, due to climate conditions, only a few varieties can adapt and bear fruit. |
Photo: NVCC
Original article link:
https://vietnamnet.vn/vuon-san-thuong-150m2-o-tphcm-tram-giong-hue-khoe-sac-chanh-to-nhu-qua-buoi-2379820.html?
According to Vietnamnet
Source: https://tienphong.vn/vuon-san-thuong-150m2-tram-giong-hue-khoe-sac-chanh-to-nhu-qua-buoi-post1724578.tpo
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