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haxuan

My photo site (long post)

haxuan
17 years ago

Hi everybody, I finally know how to post a link to my photo site thanks to Edna's teaching. She's a real talented teacher!

A word about my home and garden photos you're going to see. In responding to my zest to have a flower garden and a retire home, DH (and me too) spent more than two years searching for a location that would have the right climate and view. We wanted it to be on a hill side with mountains and pine trees in view. Also we wanted it to be not too far from the city (and not to costly, neither!).

So in December 2003, we bought this little piece of land in Dalat, a highland city in Vietnam famous for its cool weather all the year round and mountainous view. Then in October 2004, DH designed the house and we started building it from scratch. It took 6 months for us to finish the building. Then I started the planting, with trials-and-errors all the time (until now). The so-called garden comes at will, i.e. no specific planning. To add to this chaotic, DH and I often are not 'thinking-in-the-same-way' about what to plant and where (you know what I mean LOL). So... here we are... the garden in Dalat! I garden here about ten days a month.

You will also see our garden in Thu Duc (Ho Chi Minh City), where we live and work. This garden is truly tropical. Again, there's no planning whatsoever!

I also want you to meet our gorgeous daughters as well. They're the most successful "plants" that we have ever grown so far!

I took a lot of photos of our gardens intending to 'tidy' them afterward. But in the end, I wanted to keep them all. So, if you see repetition, please excuse my greediness!

Xuan (having too much time, indeed!)

Here is a link that might be useful: My photo site

Comments (21)

  • ninjabut
    17 years ago

    I attempted to enter you photo site, but it required YOUR password etc to enter. Nancy

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Sorry about that. I thought I've got rid of that "password" requirement stuff but not really. Is it because I logged out of my photo site? People can you help?
    Otherwise, I have now opened the site with "remember me". Why don't you try it again, Nancy. (BTW thanks for reminding me of my English in the other post. Will remember now!)

    Xuan

  • balsam
    17 years ago

    Hi Xuan,

    I still can't get into your site with the password you provided. :(

    I hope you will try to post it again because I'd love to see you gardens!

    Balsam

  • todancewithwolves
    17 years ago

    Xuan,

    When you logon to photobucket, make sure to have "Remember me?" checked. Then copy and paste your site again. That should do the trick.

    Edna

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    OK folks... sorry for all the trouble. I should have known better. I'll try again now.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hope it works this time

  • jxa44
    17 years ago

    nope.

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Oh... I know now. Maybe I didn't make my album PUBLIC. Well, I do now. Pls try if you're still interest!

    Xuan (so sorry about her ignorance!)
    BTW: if password is still needed, here it is: gardenweb07.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My album now public!

  • PattiOH
    17 years ago

    Xuan, don't apologize! Your photos are certainly worth waiting for, they're really wonderful! I just returned from a "trip" to your Dalat garden and home. What a beautiful place you've created!

    I can't wait to view your other albums when I have more time. Thank you for sharing with us.

    PattiOh

  • natvtxn
    17 years ago

    Ha! She just did that to keep us on pins and needles.

    So many of the same plants grow in your gardens that grow in South Texas, where I was born.

    You certainly have beautiful gardens. I enjoyed seeing the hoya blooming. I have one like it.

  • balsam
    17 years ago

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! Thanks so much for sticking with it and posting these, Xuan. Incidentally, I was able to see it from your third attempt (Hope it works this time).

    I just love your new "retirement home" - you and DH did a wonderful job and the view is amazing. I'm sure you'll spend many happy years there. Your gardens are lovely - all of them - but I especially like the orchids. And you have a lovely family :)

    Thanks again for posting,
    Balsam

  • ninjabut
    17 years ago

    Xuan, as I said in the other post , your English is VERY GOOD! Just didn't want to draw the wrong people to this site looking for pot plants! Nancy

  • rick_mcdaniel
    17 years ago

    Very lovely, Xuan. Thank you for sharing your photos.

    Your English is far better than my Vietnamese. (smile)

    Rick

  • rosefolly
    17 years ago

    What a beautiful garden -- and a beautiful view of the hills to frame it. Thanks for posting your pictures.

    Rosefolly

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thank you, folks, you've made me feel as though I'm back home having you guys visiting and talking!
    I want some day some of you can actually go to Vietnam for a visit and I will have the pleasure to show you around our beautiful country. There won't be beautiful gardens to visit, though, but you will see rice paddies (correct word?), peasant villages surrounded by bamboo, houses overshading by coconut trees, water buffaloes wadding in the mud - things not normally found in temperate climate zones - and especially breath-taking beaches and bays!
    See you there one day!

    Xuan (bragging too much 'cause she's alone!)

  • gnabonnand
    17 years ago

    Xuan, thank you for sharing your beautiful home and gardens with us. I noticed you have a fine collection of containers for your potted plants, did you get all of the containers in Vietnam? You have a very nice looking family. Did you live in the U.S. prior to moving to Vietnam?

    Take care,
    Randy

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Randy, I'm a Vietnamese living in Vietnam with my family. I never lived in the US before. This is the second time I've visited the US.
    Thank you for your compliments regarding my home and gardens. About the containers, yes, I bought them all in Vietnam. They're "dirt cheap" if you compare to the prices you'd pay for them in the US. Ikea makes huge profits exporting those containers to countries all over the world!

    Happy holidays.

    Xuan

  • flowerchild5
    17 years ago

    Hello! what i love about your pictures is that I get to see what parts of vietnam look like. My sister in law is born and raised vietnemese, I don't remember the name of where she grew up but i've never seen pictures (except on tv and very few) Its beautiful!

  • FlowerLady6
    17 years ago

    Xuan ~ Your gardens are beautiful and so lush! Thank you so much for sharing your part of the world. You have created such loveliness. I saw your night blooming cactus, and wanted to tell you that my cactus doesn't get fruit, like you said some of yours do. When will you be heading back home?

    FlowerLady

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Hi FlowerLady, I'm going back home next week. I'm here for almost three months already. Sure miss my gardens, my plants, my dogs.
    My gardens are going to look different this time as I'm going to sow all the seeds I've got from Edna (which she got from all of you on CG here). I will show you more photos of them when the flowers come up.
    Oh... the cactus that gets fruit is the "blue dragon cactus" (literally translated from Vietnamese Thanh Long), which I saw some of our relatives have planted in their gardens in Santa Ana (Orange County) here in California.
    I'm very happy to know you liked my gardens in Vietnam.

    Xuan (coming back home soon!)

  • lavendrfem
    17 years ago

    Just beautiful! The view is magnificent.

    Xuan - how long of a growing season do you have there?

    Estelle

  • haxuan
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Estelle, it's hard for me to tell 'cause I have difficulty understand the exact meaning of growing season. Is it the period of time a particular plant grows or is it the period of time you can grow something in the garden?
    It's ALL THE YEAR ROUND for both, I think... no resting period for us since we don't have severe winter like you do. The plants stay green all the time. They will bloom on and on and on... until you get sick of them (because the bloom quality is reducing and the plants become leggy) and want to pull them up and throw them away for some other younger ones, for example hollyhocks, or daisy, or marigold, or impatiens, or creopsis to name a few. And plants of all kinds grow faster there, too.
    So... if you want to be able to garden all the year round, come to Vietnam. You will always be my honor guest!

    Xuan (coming home soon)

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