Dalat girl goes 'multiplying' gardens all over the country

Ms. Linh gives away plants to gardeners everywhere.

For Ms. Dieu Linh, planting trees anywhere is fine as long as it brings more green space and reduces environmental pollution.

Why do we have to plant our own garden?

On Ms. Linh's personal page (living in Ward 5, Da Lat City, Lam Dong), every few days she posts that she has just given trees to everyone.

A few days ago, Ms. Linh gave away 100 yellow phoenix trees and 200 red phoenix trees to anyone who was her friend on social networks.

She also carefully advised: "Royal poinciana has both horizontal roots and taproots, so it is very strong, the roots are big and the canopy is big, the roots go wherever the canopy goes, it retains soil and water, the flowers are beautiful and good for the soil. It should be planted in a spacious place, leaving a lot of soil around the roots, don't build concrete close to the base, it can survive a rainy season. Once the tree has taken root, it will just grow like that, it doesn't need much care."

Scrolling through her personal page, every few days she gives away seedlings, sometimes 50 cherry trees, sometimes 30 large chestnut trees, and another 30 red-leafed soapberry trees to anyone who wants to plant trees. She said she couldn’t remember the exact number of seedlings she had given away, but estimated it at around 100,000 in the past 4 years.

Ms. Linh said that, starting from having many varieties of trees but no land to plant, in 2020 she founded the Garden Everywhere model. The message that Ms. Linh wants to convey is that if you want to plant trees to create forests, you do not necessarily have to have land or resources, but you can share trees with people who have land and gardens to plant trees. You can also come to that garden to take care of and enjoy the green space that the forest brings.

"There are some trees that I've waited for to have land to plant, but I'm sure they will never come, so I thought if I don't have land of my own, I'll plant them in someone else's land. I ask them to take care of them, and sometimes I go to that garden to take care of them, watch them bloom, bear fruit, and enjoy the fresh air that the trees create," Linh shared.

When the project first started, the number of people asking for trees was very large. Ms. Linh realized that there were many people who wanted to plant trees but had a common obstacle of not having land. She wanted to use the project so that people could plant trees anywhere, not necessarily on their own land.

The Garden Everywhere model was first implemented in schools, pagodas, and youth unions. Units requested about 300 trees at a time, later individuals or community groups requested more, from a few dozen to a few hundred trees each. Some people requested trees to plant for the whole neighborhood or an entire street.

2020 was the first year of the project. With only 30 million VND from contributions from friends and some garden owners, Ms. Linh was able to donate 3,000 trees throughout Lam Dong. At the 13th 0-VND fair organized by Ms. Linh (2020), she received 5 million VND from sponsors, but instead of giving away items, Ms. Linh "invested" in the project "Gardens Everywhere" to bring seeds and seedlings to everyone. In 2021, "Gardens Everywhere" donated and planted 20,000 trees in Da Lat.

Mr. Trang Su, a forest planter (Dak To district, Kon Tum) said: "I received many trees from Ms. Linh and planted them into a small forest of sua, go and muong trees. I named the forest Phan Dieu Linh and put up a sign "D.Linh's Forest". I hope my children will love and protect the forest in the future, because the forest is our life".

Green from the heart

In early 2022, the Institute for Development Communication Research (under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations) collaborated with Ms. Linh to develop the Garden Everywhere model into the TreeBank project (tree bank) in Ho Chi Minh City and was supported by the Canadian Community Initiative Fund.

Ms. Linh's joy is to spread her love for trees to everyone and multiply the gardens.

In 2022 alone, TreeBank donated and planted 11,000 trees in Lam Dong and some neighboring provinces. Currently, TreeBank has developed a nationwide model to become a bridge to bring trees to the ground, greening vacant lands and bare hills and providing more oxygen to the atmosphere, contributing to environmental protection.

Mr. Tran Nhat Minh, director of the Institute for Development Communication Research (RED), said: The original initiative from Ms. Linh's Gardens Everywhere project has now developed into the TreeBank program.

TreeBank has a very specific orientation to connect people who want to plant trees in the community with forest garden owners who want to receive trees and want to plant trees on their land. With the method and needs of these two groups of people, the connection has created an effective way to plant trees in large numbers and achieve sustainable results.

Ms. Linh regularly participates in tree planting events and workshops.

As for Ms. Ro Mon Nen La, a resident of Lac Duong district, Lam Dong province, who received seedlings, shared: Plant one tree, two trees, three trees and then a forest will form. Our people not only live on the forest, but the forest also contributes to improving the environment and fighting climate change. In the future, my children will also love the forest as their blood and bones because they have been educated to love trees and forests since childhood.

Initially, Ms. Linh determined the area to donate trees in Da Lat, up to now the project has not only expanded to the whole Lam Dong province but also to some neighboring provinces. Ms. Linh's project is a pure project because there are no additional costs other than seedlings and transportation, the rate of successful planting is about 85-90%.

Currently, Ms. Linh sends about 1,000 trees every month, and she gives them to anyone who asks for them because, according to her, people who plant trees are people who always strive for goodness. And especially, she has gradually removed the stereotype and possessiveness of people with garden trees. Just by planting trees, we have contributed to the community, no matter where on earth they are planted.

Living in a crowded city, Ms. Linh once dreamed of having a green garden to relax in every day and enjoy the fresh air. To date, Ms. Linh is the "richest" person with thousands of gardens all over the country. Every time she passes by the garden where she sent the trees or receives pictures from the garden owner, Ms. Linh is extremely moved by the lush green garden. What's even happier is that not only does she feel that joy, but the garden owner or anyone can enjoy the benefits that the forest brings.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gai-da-lat-di-nhan-vuon-khap-ca-nuoc-20240926113934899.htm