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In the heart of Saigon, June brings a sweltering heat that seems to drain the energy of the bustling crowds. Since there isn't enough greenery to alleviate the summer heat, I sought out a quiet, green space to escape the early summer heat.
The trees and foliage are enchanting, like a gentle patch of greenery in the heart of the city.
The world inside and outside the glass box
Located nearly 15 km from the center of Saigon, in a residential area, Mê Cây Mê Lá (Mê Trees, Mê Leaves) appears as a tranquil green corner, welcoming me on a peaceful morning. Every corner of the cafe is utilized to cover with moss and nurture plants. The crunching of pebbles underfoot and the tinkling of wind chimes are the clearest sounds I can hear at the cafe's entrance. Amidst this space, the warm aroma of coffee gently guides me into the world of terrariums (miniature ecological landscapes in glass boxes).
The cafe's interior is filled with shades of green from plants and terrariums.
On shelves and tables arranged around the four corners of the room, terrariums of all sizes are neatly stacked and sealed. Under the soft light shining down from above, condensation clings to the glass walls, making the world inside the boxes appear magical and cool, as if they don't belong to this hot, dry, and dusty world.
Terrariums are the art of creating miniature ecosystems within glass containers, a sophisticated and creative hobby favored by nature lovers. More than just planting ornamental plants, terrariums offer a miniature living space, combining greenery, rocks, moss, soil, and sometimes even model details like wooden houses and streams, creating a vibrant and highly artistic miniature world.
Terrariums create a living and moving ecosystem within a glass box.
Each glass box reveals a story about a particular region, named after the way it was formed and the reflections of the person who placed each stone and pebble within it. In "The Flow," each branch of wood and layer of moss seems to tell a wordless story about the workings of nature. They move gently like mist seeping through the rocks, like a small stream winding through a pristine forest. Or the "Summer Garden" tank, inspired by the peaceful scenes in Ghibli films, with its lush green meadows and ancient trees casting shadows on a tranquil stream, evokes images of pleasant afternoon naps. There are also still tanks like "Village Under the Moonlight," where time seems to stand still, with only the small stream at the foot of the hill resembling the ceaseless flow of time and the breath of the earth.
Each terrarium is like a hidden land holding stories of nature.
In the center of the room, terrariums were gradually taking shape, gently releasing mist. The rough gray stones contrasted with the smooth green moss, creating harmonious facets of nature—sometimes mysterious like deep forests and caves, sometimes wild and primitive like fallen trees and stormy aftermath, and at other times soft and gentle like a calm stream and fine sand.
Each ecosystem created requires the creativity of the creator.
The journey of pursuing miniature art.
In the midst of that verdant space, Hung and Thuong, the two owners of the cafe, were busy with their own tasks. Hung was a young man with a love for nature, from the smallest things like grass, moss, and rocks. For Hung, plants also had their own sounds, like when a young sprout broke through its shell to begin a life cycle or when a leaf fell, ending its life cycle. Beside Hung, Thuong learned to listen slowly, and from that, even the sound of water trickling through the crevices became music. Because someone had said that we should also love what they love.
Hung and Thuong are two young people with kindred spirits and a shared love of nature.
Starting from the days of making simple, low-detail terrarium models to earn a small online income, and then combining it with opening a shop and now having their own space for their passion, Hung and Thuong have been involved with the art of terrarium for 3 years. That journey isn't long, but it hasn't been easy for many reasons...
Sipping his coffee, Hung explained that creating a terrarium box, from conceptualization to selecting details, arranging the layout, and the process of attaching and connecting the pieces to create a cohesive landscape, can take anywhere from hours to days. “We don’t mass-produce identical boxes because each branch and blade of grass is a unique object found nowhere else in nature. This uniqueness nurtures creativity, helping us constantly think new things and do things differently,” Hung said. Thanks to this, each time a box is completed, the cafe's space is renewed, and the flow of creativity continues endlessly here.
Creativity is the thread that connects small pieces of wood, pebbles, moss, and stones into a vibrant living space.
Perhaps it's because of the constant flow of creativity within each terrarium that everyone who comes here feels that energy and is inspired, especially nature lovers like me and aquarists like Hieu. Meeting Hung and Thuong for the first time, stories about branches, fish in aquariums, or terrariums filled the space. Everyone sat and laughed, saying, "Of all things to be fascinated by, we're fascinated by plants and leaves."
A chill spot to wander among miniature lands.
The hobby of terrarium keeping is demanding in terms of finances, time, and effort because if you don't truly put your passion into it, the space will quickly become messy and ruined. That's why terrariums are quite selective in terms of hobbyists, and even if you like them, not everyone has the means to have their own space.
Terrariums are a hobby that requires dedication, meticulous care, and daily nurturing.
As insiders who understand this best, Hung and Thuong decided to dedicate a separate space in their cafe to welcome terrarium enthusiasts to enjoy coffee and relax amidst the greenery without the hassle of buying or selling. The purpose of this space is simply for customers to sit, feel, share stories about their passion, or gaze at different landscapes within the glass containers while enjoying a regular cup of coffee.
Corners for enjoying coffee, reading, and admiring terrariums.
Although the coffee shop is just a small space in front of the cafe with simple drinks like black coffee, milk coffee, iced coffee with condensed milk, matcha, cocoa, or kumquat juice to cool off in the summer, Thuong still takes care of it every day to provide the best experience for customers. Who wouldn't enjoy sipping a delicious cup of coffee in a space that recreates miniature pieces of nature, especially on a rainy day when the earth and plants exude a damp smell? Thuong smiled and chatted as she brought out a rich, dark brown coffee for me.
Thuong takes meticulous care of her coffee corner every day.
I took the coffee from Thuong's hand, sipped a slightly bitter cup, and savored the sweet aftertaste in my throat. Hung and Hieu were still discussing how plants shed their leaves to nourish new shoots, the old leaves making way for healthier foliage. I reflected that, like Hung and Thuong, and the boxes at "Love of Plants, Love of Leaves," they change every day to become perfect, growing larger with the flow of time.
