During a study field trip at Chiang Mai University that I joined in 2015, all participants including myself were given a tour to Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. It was fascinating for me to visit a botanical garden for the first time. I remember that each area offered a spectacular experience to learn and experience specific varieties of plants such as orchid nursery, rose garden, etc. From this trip onwards, I often visited botanical gardens and parks on each abroad trip I had, including Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, Japan and Taipei Botanical Garden in Taipei, Taiwan.

Cambodia’s rapid economic growth over the past decade accelerated urban construction in and around Phnom Penh. However, the natural environment and open spaces within city boundaries have been decreasing continuously. This draws my concern toward sustaining our neighborhoods and cities. Upon earning several years of professional experience at a local independent think-tank and an international development agency, I decided to create a start-up in mid-2019, aiming not just to earn an income but also to raise awareness about a different variety of plants and urban gardening. I named my business “Jungle à Domicile” in French, which means ‘jungle at home’ in English.

This start-up journey has provided me with chances to learn from customers and develop products and services based on their demands. I have learnt that there were significantly increasing numbers of people growing houseplants during the pandemic between early 2021 and 2022. As a consequence, I co-founded the ground-breaking Phnom Penh Plant and Garden Fair, which was held for 2 days with a presence of 2,000 people in July 2022. The fair also celebrates National Arbor Day which is held annually on 9th July.