After one year of rehabilitation, the land was ready for fruit trees and 18 vegetable beds. Before installing an automatic irrigation system, they spent five hours twice daily carrying pond water to irrigate the entire 3,000 square meter area.

Xuan Hong, 26, once owned a spa in Kien Giang, now An Giang province. Her husband, Ly Thien, 36, worked in construction in Can Tho. In 2024, they moved their entire family back to their hometown to live closer together.

On a 3,000 square meter plot of rice field in Long Thanh commune, An Giang province, Thien requested a land use conversion to create a garden. Initially, however, seeds planted either died prematurely or failed to germinate.

After researching cultivation techniques and seeking guidance from relatives, they discovered the soil was heavily contaminated with alum. To remedy this, the couple plowed and sun-dried the soil (turning it over to evaporate toxins and reduce alum levels), then applied lime powder and well-rotted manure to improve friability and balance the pH.

Adopting safe farming methods, the family avoids pesticides, hand-picking pests to maintain clean vegetable beds.

"Since the garden began, I have complete peace of mind about the quality of our meals; sometimes we don't need to go to the market for a few weeks because we have food ready at home," said Hong.

Beyond serving the family, the garden also provides supplementary income. The first bunches of vegetables were given to neighbors, then more people learned about them and offered to buy them because they were clean. This income helps the couple cover costs for seeds and fertilizers.

In the middle of the garden, the family built a 50 square meter thatched-roof house, embodying the Mekong Delta style. They hired workers for the frame and roof, while the couple completed the interior finishing themselves.

This serves as a resting place after hours of gardening, as well as a communal area for living, cooking, and hosting friends.

Thien and Hong harvest ripe guavas after working in the garden.

After two years, the 3,000 square meter garden now boasts various fruits such as guava, jackfruit, sapodilla, longan, and durian, alongside seasonal vegetables.

Along the pathways and around the house, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnias, and bougainvillea bloom vibrantly. Tilapia and snakeskin gourami are raised in the pond. The family plans to add poultry for eggs and meat in the future.

Hong and her husband documented their gardening and cooking in the lush green space, sharing it on social media, where it attracted millions of views.

She stated that the videos were intended only to preserve memories from the pristine field to its current form, not to attract views or seek income.

Through these videos, many people have expressed interest in visiting and experiencing the harvest. However, as the garden is still undergoing completion and only the couple manages it, they have not yet been able to host visitors.

"When everything is ready, the garden will open its doors to nature lovers," she said.

Quynh Nguyen