Ami Home Farm
2022
LOCATION
Luong Son
SIZE
3000m²
EXPECTATION
Permaculture and farm garden
EXPERTIZE
Garden & farm design
STATUS
Park to visit & villas to rent
Although not far from big cities, only one hour driving from Hanoi and Hoa Binh City, Ami Home farm enjoys the fresh and natural landscape of Hoa Binh area, with fresh rivers and poetic mountains. The client wanted to create in these 3ha of sloppy land a homestay where to reconnect with Nature, through local landscape, farm animals care, and fruits and vegetable growing.
Therefore, Ami Home farm was imagined according to the Permaculture design philosophy. In which the central zone is the residential area, then the gardens, spaces that need daily care, frequent visits such as kitchen gardens, short-term vegetable gardens, flower gardens. Further are the gardens, such as herbal gardens, short-term fruit gardens. Around, the natural flora and fauna self-regenerate, such as long-term fruit trees and forest.
Sunflowers, the smile of Nature
Sunflowers wear this poetic name because of the common idea of the flowers tracking the sun across the sky. Indeed, the young sunflowers orient themselves in the direction of the sun. At dawn the head of the flower faces east and moves west throughout the day. They reorient overnight to face east in anticipation of the morning. Their bright yellow petals around a big brown disk remind a joyful face of sun, moving to show its happiness to everybody. When walking in a field of sunflowers, it is feeling like being among thousands of cheerful welcoming friends.
Ami Home Farm - Masterplan
Flow of fresh water
The existing stream coming down from the mountain and crossing the land from length to length was preserved. Some ponds where added, to create natural swimming pools, biodiversity refuges for animals and plants, and additional freshness to the area. The water flow brings life to the space, because it also allows the natural watering of the vegetable gardens around. The children can learn the importance of preserving water resource, and using it to give it back to the soil, following the natural water cycle.
Friends from the countryside
The design is inspired by European farms, especially in France and Italy with lots of open space, vast grasslands for cattle to run freely. The grass and wildflowers grow freely, to feed the cattle and host a variety of wildlife. The cattle are composed of small animals like chickens, ducks, rabbits, to bigger like goats, sheeps, cows and even horses. The children can visit the animals in the fields, learn how to climb on their backs, how to feed them and take care of them. They can see truly how their daily food is provided by the labor or animals, with the meat, the milk, eggs, etc. These moments spent between animals and children is a useful lesson also for adults, reminding of the important question of healthy alimentation, animals weel-being, food waste.
Abondance of Nature
With its vegetable garden, small fruits and fruits trees in the orchard, the land is filled with profusion of edible plants. Taking care of the plants or just picking some fruits to eat during the promenade, every moment spent in the gardens is rich of emotions, so instinctive and satisfying. Children can learn patience and see the low growing speed of nature.
Flower Power
The flower gardens along the pathways are grown in lines as vegetable gardens, with a wide diversity of species, heights and colors. Plants are grown in order to have flowers all the year, some species blooming in spring, some others in summer or autumn, or some during winter like some flower fruit trees around. These fields, in addition to be beautiful, are also an all-year provider of nectar for pollinating insects, and useful for humans, with edible flowers, medical remedies, or to decorate the houses. The fruit trees add colors in early spring with delicate blooms of pink and white, mixing with young green leaves.
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Living peacefully, a habit of Provence
The villas are inspired from the mediterranean houses, with draft local stones, wood pillars, orange tiles roof, and of course terrace and pergola to enjoy the sunny afternoon under the fresh canopy of climbing plants and big trees around. The planting is inspired from Provence, with blue green olive trees, lavanders, high green trees along the paths. The hardscape tends to make one with its environment, being as discreet and eco-friendly as possible.