Asian vegetables, seasons, and green experiments in Europe.
I was born in Vietnam, where simply stepping into a market means finding dozens of familiar herbs and leafy vegetables. After moving to Germany, I sometimes realized I missed one very small flavor: a few sprigs of kinh giới with bún, a handful of tía tô, or a plate of boiled rau muống in summer.
So I started planting.
At first, it was simply to have vegetables to eat. Later I realized I was learning how to garden in a completely different country.
How I grow bitter melon in a greenhouse in Germany: soaking the seeds, keeping seedlings warm, training the vines, pollinating flowers, and harvesting green fruit.
How I grow figleaf gourd in Germany: starting seeds at the right time, letting the vines climb, eating young fruits and storing mature ones through winter.
How I grow lá lốt in Germany from stems bought at an Asian grocery store, root the cuttings, keep the plant in a pot, and bring it indoors for winter.
How I regrow rau cần from supermarket stems in Germany, keep it in a water-filled container, and watch it return after winter.
How I grow lemongrass in Germany from supermarket stalks: rooting the bases in water, planting them in deep pots, harvesting, and keeping the plant through winter.
How I propagate rau răm from stems bought at an Asian market, grow it in a pot standing in water, and keep it through winter in Germany.
My practical notes on growing kinh giới in Germany: starting from seed, rooting stems, timing the season, and caring for young plants in a European climate.
🌿 Today, look up at the sky more than at the screen.
Take one very slow breath.
Every seed needs time to sprout.
Every journey begins with one very small step.
Thank you for spending a little time walking through this garden.