Her 15 m2 room has more than two dozen types of plants, from betel leaves and ferns to ivy and thien mon.
In Cau Giay, the garden corner of Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, 29 years old, has more than 70 types of plants.
Similarly in Saigon, artist Tran Viet Tu and her husband covered their 100 m2 apartment with more than 300 species of trees and called their residence `street forest`.
Currently, growing plants indoors is a trend supported by young people.
After a year of moving to Ba Dinh district, Dinh Hoang Giang greened the house with many types of plants such as snake tongue, betel nut, money tree, honeysuckle, and banyan buds.
The owner of a greenery shop on Kim Ma Street revealed that sales have doubled compared to the same period last year, even though Hanoi has just gone through a two-month quarantine period.
Nguyen Xuan Huynh, an employee of a garden on Dang Van Ngu Street (Hanoi), said most customers are young people around 20-30 years old.
The `street forest` in the apartment of artist Tran Viet Tu and his wife helps them stay calm even when they cannot go out due to Covid-19.
Around the world, growing indoor plants is also supported by generation Y (born in the 80s and early 90s).
Young people are `addicted` to trees for many different reasons.
Hoang Giang and Minh Ngoc inherited the love of trees from their family, so for them, having a private tree corner is very natural.
Young people’s love for trees is also related to their need for health care, both physical and mental.
`Whenever I’m tired, I just need to look at, learn about and take care of trees and I’ll be at peace. When people come to meditate, I go to trees,` Hoang Giang expressed.
`Taking care of trees is also taking care of ourselves. Trees teach us many lessons about development and self-love,` Minh Ngoc said.
During the inevitable social distancing period, Viet Tu and his wife were still able to stay close to nature and be still and comfortable, like on vacation.
`After a period of time being exposed to nature, they feel the intimate connection between themselves and the trees, so they really love them and no longer follow the formality,` said Xuan Huynh, a garden employee.
Minh Ngoc grows more than 70 types of indoor plants.
Trees bring many benefits, but before bringing trees home, homeowners need to consider carefully, some architects and interior designers warn.
According to architect Ha Duc Cuong (Hanoi), homeowners should not display too many plants in front of doorways because this can reduce the ventilation capacity of the building, which houses need natural ventilation.
With apartments, designer Nguyen Quan (Nha Trang) reminds homeowners to be careful when watering plants because water can seep into the lower floors or condense steam, which can also lead to seepage over time, affecting the quality of the project.
Mr. Quan emphasized that homeowners need to choose the right type of tree, consider the tree’s living environment and be willing to spend time taking care of them.
When it fits the lifestyle and becomes the homeowner’s passion, planting trees will become simpler and more meaningful.
Minh Ngoc takes 10-15 minutes before going to work to watch, water, mist, and listen to music for the plants.
Is `addiction` to plants a trend that comes and goes?
Sharing that thought, Viet Tu is planning to build a farmhouse near Da Lat.
Meanwhile, Thu Anh aims to take good care of the trees so that every tree is healthy.
`The tree makes me happy, so I want to make the tree happy too,` Thu Anh said.