Actress Le Hoa's nearly 1,000 m2 vegetable garden

Actress Le Hoa cultivates mustard greens, kohlrabi, and corn on her 1,000 m2 plot in Lam Dong.

Le Hoa harvests vegetables and corn in her garden.

Actress Le Hoa, 55, a familiar face to audiences, dedicates herself to her nearly 1,000 m2 vegetable garden in Lam Dong. Known for supporting roles in films and television series such as "Bong Dung Muon Khoc", "Vua Di Vua Khoc", "Hot Boy Noi Loan", "Canh Dong Bat Tan", and "Khi Con La Nha", she finds relaxation and clean food through her passion for farming. Le Hoa is married to a Spanish man and has two children; her eldest daughter, Emma Le, was a top 5 finalist in the Miss Universe Vietnam pageant.

Her journey as a novice farmer was challenging, beginning with the need to improve the barren, stony original soil. Le Hoa purchased 15 truckloads of red soil for the garden. In the first year, a lack of experience led to all her crops being destroyed by pests and birds.

Le Hoa bought the land in Di Linh six years ago to build a resort garden house. She allocated 100 m2 for the house and used the rest for cultivation.

After researching and learning from locals, she decided to enclose the entire garden with netting. Instead of using chemical pesticides, the artist opted to spray a mixture of ground garlic and chili on the plants to deter aphids and other harmful insects.

The garden is now lush year-round, providing many of her favorite vegetables: mustard greens, bitter melon, kohlrabi, and amaranth. She also intercrops rows of corn.

When hosting guests, the actress often cooks dishes using her home-grown vegetables.

After each harvest, the actress brings vegetables and fruits from her garden back to TP HCM to share with neighbors and friends.

Living and working in TP HCM, Le Hoa visits her garden house in Lam Dong once a week or every two weeks. There, she hires daily laborers to help with gardening tasks such as weeding, watering, and fertilizing.

"While the costs are significant, I gain clean food and the joy of farming", the artist said.