Loving gardeners without space or budget

Tết Holiday at Tao Đàn Park

I have been living in Vietnam for a year now. It's taken me a long time to write as I lost confidence and but I have been working on that and I can't help but see the love of gardening here in HCMC and want to talk about it.

If you come here as a tourist you are most likely to go downtown to Districts One, Two and Three. There, you can see tree-lined avenues and large public garden parks. They are quite lovely and offer a respite from the heat and noise of the shopping streets. There’s a lot to do and see there as you can easily find out from websites like Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor.

Tao Đàn Park

Công viên Tao Đàn

However, I lived in Bình Thạnh District in my first year, and although I have moved to a pretty tree-lined street in District Seven due to work, I miss it there. The streets are narrow and noisy, but there are little shops everywhere as the entrepreneurial Vietnamese are aiming high in their economic growth.

Somewhere in Bình Thạnh, Phuong 14

In fact many of my university-aged students frequently have jobs and companies as well as their full time studies. So, back to the streets of Bình Thạnh where, as you wander around, you look up and see the balconies with plants from fully decked-out gardens to just a pot of lemongrass for cooking. It is rare to see a balcony empty of anything. In a country where personal political opinions are not encouraged, the Vietnamese express their individuality through their homes and balconies. Sleek modern straight lines neighbour flamboyant baroque-like facades.

Join me as we explore the gardens in pots around HCMC.

Trees aren't cut down - They are built around.