Family

Vietnamese father grows lush vegetable garden in France to remind him of the taste of home

University (according to Vietnamnet) • December 8, 2024 05:58

Despite unsuitable soil conditions, the Vietnamese father persevered and successfully planted a lush vegetable garden in France to remind him of his childhood and the flavors of his homeland.

The trellises of chayote, bitter melon, squash, pumpkin... are full of fruit in André's garden in the suburbs of Paris, France.

Tropical garden in the suburbs of Paris

André Souppaya (51 years old, Paris, France) has a French father and a Vietnamese mother. Although he was born and lived in Vietnam until he was 16, André does not have a Vietnamese name.

In 1989, he settled in France. 10 years ago, when he moved to the North of France, André wanted to bring Vietnamese vegetables into his family meals.

He decided to renovate a small 120m2 garden in the suburbs of Paris to grow Vietnamese vegetables such as: squash, zucchini, bitter melon, luffa, chayote, green cabbage, onions, chives, coriander...

However, the prolonged cold weather, barren land, and lack of nutrients caused him many difficulties. In the first years, he failed many times because he sowed seeds at the wrong time, causing the seedlings to not have time to adapt.

André shared: “Gardening in France is quite different from Vietnam. In Vietnam, the warm tropical climate helps plants such as squash, pumpkin, luffa, and herbs grow naturally all year round.

In France, especially in the north, the weather is harsh with long winters and lack of light, making growing tropical plants a challenge.

On the surface of the garden, Mr. André planted many types of coriander bearing the mark of his hometown.

I have to choose my planting time carefully, usually after the last frost. Sometimes I have to start the seedlings in a greenhouse so they don't get cold.

I improve the soil by composting kitchen waste such as vegetable peels, fruit peels, coffee grounds... into organic fertilizer. This method helps the soil become fertile, plants grow well and protects the environment and family health."

The garden is dotted with purple, red, yellow... colors from many kinds of fruit trees.

After 10 years of efforts to improve the land and find ways to grow plants suitable for the climate and soil of the Paris suburbs, he now has a lush green vegetable garden. He covers the surface of the garden with rows of green mustard, perilla, Vietnamese coriander, and perilla...

Above, he built a trellis for bitter melon, chayote, squash, pumpkin... with fruit hanging down. In particular, he successfully grew a trellis of squash with fruits longer than 2m, and even red watermelon.

Besides the lush green of the vegetable beds and trellises, the garden is dotted with red, purple, and yellow from varieties of tomatoes, peppers, grapes, strawberries, etc.

khu vuon — After 10 years of efforts to improve the soil and research the weather and climate, Mr. André easily successfully grew vegetables.

Reminiscent of childhood, the taste of home

To have a garden full of clean vegetables, André spends many hours on the plants every day. At the beginning of the season, when the weather is still cold and unstable at night, he spends a lot of time preparing the soil and growing seedlings in the greenhouse.

Sometimes, he spends 2-3 hours a day checking the plants, watering them, and covering them. When the plants are growing steadily, he spends 1-2 hours a day taking care of them.

Despite the hard work, André considers gardening a joy, a way to relax after long days of work. Moreover, the garden also helps him preserve Vietnamese culture and roots in the heart of France.

The garden ensures a source of clean, nutritious vegetables for André's family.

He confided: “Vegetables are a source of clean food, ensuring the health of the family, especially when living far from home, I want to maintain meals with strong Vietnamese flavors.

Plants like squash, pumpkin, luffa and herbs are associated with my childhood memories. When I plant them here, I feel like I am keeping a part of my homeland Vietnam.

My greatest joy is to harvest the fruits that I have grown and cared for myself, then process them into delicious dishes for my family.

He inspired and guided his children to garden and take care of vegetables since they were very young.

From the vegetables in the garden, I cook dishes with a strong hometown flavor such as: green cabbage soup with shrimp, fried eggs with chives, bitter melon stir-fried with eggs, hotpot with Chinese spinach...

Not only André, but also other members of his family love the garden. He inspired Hoai Nam (14 years old), Sao Mai (8 years old), his son and daughter to grow vegetables and take care of the garden since they were very young.

During the harvest season, the two children often help their father sow seeds, plant seedlings, and build trellises for the plants. They also especially enjoy harvesting vegetables and ripe fruits from the vegetable garden.

“I don’t have a Vietnamese name, but neither of my children have French names. My wife chose Hoai Nam for our son and Sao Mai for our daughter. Both of our children love gardening.

The garden is where our family works together and enjoys the joy of seeing plants grow every day.

It not only provides clean food but also teaches us to appreciate nature and the value of labor,” added André.