The trend of giving trees as gifts or designing living spaces with green trees is increasingly becoming popular. This helps people become environmentally friendly, as well as find nature to nourish their souls to regenerate new energy every day.

Nguyen Thi Mai next to her own garden of trees and flowers. Photo: T.V

Harmony with nature

Tran Hoang Hanh, 30, a resident of Ngu Hanh Son District, said that the current urban living environment lacks green space. The green space of roads, and public parks or gardens, is gradually shrinking. Therefore, she, like many others, wishes to have a green space in her own house to relax her eyes and refresh her emotions.

Hanh said she loved the green colour of trees. Whenever she sees a tree anywhere, she feels more confident in a life.

“I prefer plants that produce fruit and flowers over traditional green plants. However, I find it quite difficult to grow fruit trees in townhouses and the city as a whole, so I choose to grow leafy trees, mainly varieties that grow well in the shade, under the canopy of other trees such as betel nuts, ferns and moss. These plants help purify the indoor air, soothe the hot summer and warm in the winter” she added.

According to Hanh, people must live in harmony with nature. At the same time, each person needs to be guided in the sense of environmental protection from a young age, especially children. She always teaches her children from a young age to put garbage in the right place, help her mother water the plants, not cut flowers and break branches. Every day, small actions will help children form a love for nature.

Sitting and relaxing in the flower and vegetable garden on the terrace, 43-year-old Nguyen Thi Mai residing in Thanh Khe District, undertook that she had a great passion for planting trees. Therefore, in order to satisfy her desire to live with nature, when renovating her house last year, she devoted the entire rooftop area of 50m² to growing flowers, vegetables and fruit trees. Looking at the house covered with green trees helps to boost her energy and her passion for taking care of green trees.

Mai’s garden features a variety of flowers (daisy, lily, apricot, marigold, carnation and auspicious), green vegetables (gourd, squash, bitter melon, tomato, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage), and fruit trees (melon, strawberry, guava).

“I have been taking care of my garden for more than 4 years as my child. Outside of personal work, I always spend time in the early morning or late afternoon to water and fertilize these plants, as well as monitor their development process” she said.

Like Mai, Luu Thi Lan, a resident of Hai Chau District, the owner of the Youtube channel "Terrace farmer" said that, in addition to her passion for planting trees, she also wants to share how to garden and take care of plants to everyone. For her, after stressful working hours, playing with trees is the time when she feels joyful and happy.

Architect Truong Cong Luong, Director of the Beautiful Space JSC located at 105 Nguyen Quyen Street, Cam Le District, said that in recent years, many people have chosen a house style combined with green trees or asked to create empty terrace to plant quite a lot. Thanks to great benefits of trees in regulating the air and improving the quality of life, almost 90% of his company’s customers want to have plants in their homes.

Giving trees as gifts

Being given a pot of aroid palm on her birthday, Nguyen Thi Phuong, 30, who is an office worker, excitedly said “I really like bonsai and collect a lot of plants in my office. In addition, green trees help reduce my stress after working hours. Bonsai not only creates more green space, but can also decorate for a long time and each type of tree has a good meaning. I and many of my friends give trees as gifts throughout the year, not just on Lunar New Year's Day. I have experienced presenting trees to my relatives, friends and partners as gifts. I am very touched when my gift is fully cared for and cherished by everyone. It is the most precious spiritual gift to me.”

According to Mr. Pham Van Hoa, the owner of the Da Nang Greenery Shop located at 160 Thai Thi Boi, Thanh Khe District, giving green trees as gifts is gradually replacing the familiar and popular traditional gifts. When taking care of a pot of plant, the recipient will remember the giver, from which the relationship will be more connected and stronger.

“Our shop focuses on plants to be in the home, office and with the least care. The most popular plants are Lonicera japonica Thunb, aroid palm, Sansevieria trifasciata, betel nut, stone lotus, and cactus” Hoa said.

To spread the campaign to give trees as gifts effectively, the Da Nang Department of Tourism, the Da Nang University of Architecture, and the Youth Union organisaion in Cam Le District’s Hoa Tho Dong Ward simultaneously organized the program "Exchange garbage for green trees" to encourage people to live a green lifestyle.

Reporting by HUYNH TUONG VY - Translating by M.DUNG