Nguyen Kim Theu from Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, has a deep passion for gardening, which inspired her to learn techniques from online groups nationwide to make her rooftop garden.
She used old paint buckets and foam boxes, asking her husband to collect soil from nearby fields and mix it with rice husks for planting. To prevent water from seeping through the roof, he welded metal racks to elevate the plant pots.
Initially, Theu began with easy-to-grow vegetables like water spinach, Malabar spinach, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower, and various herbs. She later expanded her garden to include honeydew melons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, and several types of gourds and squash. Theu shared that her garden provides her family with fresh, organic produce and serves as a peaceful retreat, helping her unwind after a long day at work.
Her husband and children often help with housework so she can have more time for the garden. Every day, she spends around half an hour tending to it.
"Gardening requires passion and persistence. If you understand the characteristics of each plant and care for them properly, they will surely thrive," Theu shared.
Theu's secret to mitigating plant diseases lies in her soil treatment technique. She uses rice bran powder to ferment the soil, raising its temperature to eliminate harmful pathogens.
She also planted flowers to make the garden more colourful. The 30-square-metre garden is also a spot for Theu and her friends to gather.
Recently, a representative from a Russian seed company with a branch in Vietnam (first from right) visited Theu's rooftop garden and was astonished by the thriving Russian octopus tomato plants she had nurtured with meticulous care.
