Vietnamese man's bonsai garden in America

The garden is like a "charging station" that helps Mr. Bach recharge his batteries in a life of working from morning to night, with few days off.

Coming to the US 5 years ago, Bach Nguyen and his family live in Sarasota, Florida. They work as nail technicians and take wedding photos every weekend.

"Life here is like a never-ending cycle. When I first arrived, I missed the relaxing afternoons by the Perfume River," the man from Hue shared.

He turned to bonsai - a passion he had since childhood but had not had the opportunity to pursue - to bring the imprints of his homeland to the country, to relieve his homesickness and to balance his work-oriented life. The weather in Sarasota is cool, similar to Vietnam, which is favorable for bonsai hobby.

Taking care of plants is not easy for beginners. The nail technician has to learn from the location of the plants, treat pests, fertilize and most importantly water. Busy all day, he takes care of the garden mainly at night.

This is the original white and purple fir tree in his garden. According to Mr. Bach, bonsai trees in the US are very expensive. A beautiful tree costs from 10,000 to 20,000 USD, so he often buys the blanks and trims them himself to save money and at the same time bring out his own unique style. It takes 1.5 to 2 years to create the desired shape of the tree.

At first, because he was inexperienced and busy, many trees died. Once, he bought a rather expensive five-dragon bonsai tree, brought it home, cut, trimmed, and bent it, but after a few days of checking, the tree died. He went to an American garden, asked about the growing medium and how to care for it, and learned that this tree needed to have its soil changed periodically for it to grow.

Or like Hue apricot trees, it is very difficult to survive in the cold winter weather here. After several times the trees died, he had to bring them indoors every winter, or into a shed, to cover them.

Ms. Linh Tran, Mr. Bach's wife, said that every day after work, he hurriedly gave his wife and children a bag of rice and then rushed out to the garden. Every day, he had to be called five or seven times before he came in to eat. "He worked so hard that he forgot to eat and sleep. One day, at 2 a.m., he even wore a raincoat to prune and shape the plants," Ms. Linh said.

Up to now, after three years of playing bonsai, Mr. Bach's garden has more than 500 trees with about 200 different types, most of which are types that Vietnamese people often play such as mai chieu thuy, linh sam, hoa bougainvillea, ruby ​​mai and many trees that Americans like such as ficus Iland, shohin, willow leaf ficus...

"I especially like flowering bonsai species because they have shape, color and fragrance," he said.

Not daring to compare with the bonsai community in Vietnam, but in the US, Mr. Bach’s garden also has some valuable trees. He has a bougainvillea collection, including two five-color bougainvillea trees that many people have asked to buy.

One of these two trees is 37 years old, and the purchase price of the embryo is several thousand USD. From the original pink color, the tree was grafted with the color of bougainvillea from India, Thailand, and Vietnam. Mr. Bach spent dozens of experiments, and finally came up with the simple grafting experience of choosing a large branch and then inserting a small branch.

One of Bach’s favorite species is the fir tree. The garden has roots that are decades old. The two most valuable pots are white and purple roots, 30 cm in size, bought very cheaply but after becoming bonsai, they were paid about 2,000 USD.

The purple tree he bought from an American was more than ten years old and was wild in his garden. He brought it home and pruned it to a tilted shape with drooping branches. "The owner of this tree was surprised and couldn't stop admiring its shape after I reshaped it," he said.

Bonsai is the general name for plants grown in pots or trays, cared for, pruned, and shaped, thereby bringing a new breath to a type of ornamental plant that is both artistic and nostalgic. Mr. Bach said that he himself does not understand deeply or fully understand bonsai, so this will be a lifelong hobby.

"I always thought that trees have feelings like people. Once I went on a business trip for a few weeks, and when I returned, I felt like the garden was lacking human presence and was no longer beautiful," he shared.

The bonsai garden has helped Mr. Bach integrate into life and make many friends. Many Vietnamese people from other states drive to his house to visit, and there are also American customers who choose his garden as a location for wedding photos. Every time the flowers bloom, during Tet, people choose the garden to keep memories.

In the picture, an American couple took wedding photos in Mr. Bach's garden in April 2023.

The garden also brings joy to Mr. Bach’s family. The two children have a space to run around, live close to nature, and see and smell the flowers every day.

Every morning, the couple enjoys a cup of coffee in the garden before getting into the hustle and bustle of work. In the evening, when they are exhausted, the couple sips a cup of tea together. "That is even more meaningful for those living in a foreign land," the couple said.

As for Mr. Bach, thanks to bonsai , he finds himself becoming more calm and loving beauty. There is a tree that he brought home and thought would die, but half a year later it sprouted branches and leaves, making him happy. Every time a tree blooms beautifully, he brings it to the shop for himself and customers to admire.

"After all, the garden gives me a life full of feelings. I'm sure there's no place more peaceful than my own little garden," the 40-year-old man shared.

Phan Duong Photo: Character provided

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