Near Tet, garden owner rents out peach trees all day waiting for customers

Garden owner sits "waiting" for guests

On the morning of the 29th of Tet, along Lenin Avenue, Vinh City, on both sides of the road, in addition to other types of Tet flowers, peach "gardens" for sale and rent were still overflowing. After the first sale, on the 22nd of Tet, Mr. Cuong, in Nghi Phu Commune, Vinh City, took another batch of nearly 60 peach trees, but while in previous years the peach trees were basically sold out on the 25th and 26th of Tet, this year, on the 28th of Tet, he still had nearly 40 peach trees that had not been sold.

Since December 15, along Lenin Street, peach blossoms have been displayed for sale and rent. Photo: Phu Huong

Spending more than 1.5 billion VND to buy 150 Hai Phong pink peach trees from the 16th of the 12th lunar month, by the 24th of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung in Hamlet 3, Nghi An Commune, Vinh City, had only been able to sell and rent out 6 trees. “I rented them out until after the 15th of the first lunar month before taking them back to the gardener for care. But normally, around the 24th and 25th of the 12th lunar month, the big peach trees are basically gone, leaving only small peach trees, but this year, by the 24th of the 12th lunar month, I had only been able to sell 6 peach trees. I have been doing this business for more than 10 years, but there has never been a year as unsold as this year,” said Mr. Hung. According to Mr. Hung, this year along the “flower street” of Lenin Street, the number of flower traders is higher than last year, while buyers and renters have decreased sharply.

Beautiful peach trees are being offered at a cheaper price than last year. Photo: Phu Huong

Rental prices have dropped sharply.

The trend of renting peach trees for Tet has been around for decades and is growing. According to garden owners, during Tet, small peach trees are usually sold, while large peach trees are mostly rented instead of bought, with rental prices depending on the size of the tree and the number of flowers. However, this year, the rental price for peach trees is cheaper but consumption has still dropped quite sharply. Many garden owners are waiting for customers.

Introducing to customers a large, beautiful peach tree from Hai Phong, Mr. Cuong said that last year, he rented this peach tree for 70 million VND, this year, after the 20th of December, a customer paid 40 million VND but he did not rent it, hoping for a higher price. But by the afternoon of the 28th of Tet, it had not been sold yet. According to Mr. Cuong, as long as there is a customer who rents it for about 20 million VND, he will deliver it to their home.

Peach tree for rent for 20 million VND. Photo: Phu Huong

“I rented this peach tree from the garden for 18 million VND, not including the transportation fee from there and the transportation fee to the tenant’s house. Today, I hope to get back the capital, which is very good. This peach tree will not only have flowers but also fruit, because the tree has buds, flowers and fruit. I will rent it until January 18,” said Mr. Cuong.

Not only peach trees, many other bonsai shop owners are also bored sitting "waiting" for customers when it is already the afternoon of the 28th of Tet. Photo: Phu Huong

Apart from some smaller peach trees with beautiful shapes and flowers, which have been rented by customers for 6.5 - 7.5 million VND; the smaller peach trees, which will bloom on the first and second day of Tet, are priced at 4-5 million VND by the garden owner, but very few customers have asked, so he is hesitant to rent them. According to Mr. Cuong, the peach trees that were rented by customers for 13-15 million VND a week ago, on the days before Tet, if there are customers to buy, they will be sold for only 6-6.5 million VND, and if rented, the price is even lower.

Bringing peach trees from Nam Dinh, on average, Mr. Tran Van Hai in Hung Nguyen district has to pay 10 million VND for each tree, not including other costs, including larger, more beautiful trees, the rental price is up to 14 - 15 million VND. However, bringing them back to Vinh, the average rental price for each tree is only about 10 - 14 million VND.

"Stranger" compares prices at many ornamental plant shops before deciding to rent. Photo: Phu Huong

“Pink peach trees are grafted from wild peach trees and Nhat Tan peach trees, they bloom gradually instead of blooming all at once like faded peach trees, so they last a long time. Every year, I rent them for 15-25 million VND/tree, which is normal, but this year the price is only half of last year’s. In the whole “garden” of dozens of peach trees, only one tree is rented for 38 million VND to transport to Yen Ly, which is the highest price. “Peach trees in the North have a bad harvest, so we thought this year the price would be good, but buying them is expensive and selling them in Nghe An is unsold, so the price has to be reduced,” said Mr. Hai, frustrated.

According to garden owners, pink peach blossoms bloom gradually instead of blooming all at once like faded peach blossoms, so they last a long time. Photo: Phu Huong

For the past 5-6 years, Mr. Nguyen Canh Hong, a business owner in Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City, has not bought peach trees for Tet. Instead, he rents them at a price of only about 1/3 of the price, but they are big and beautiful. "I don't rent peach trees that are too big because I don't need them, they usually cost only 3-4 million VND, this year the price is even cheaper. From around the 28th of Tet, the owner will bring the peach trees to the company, and on the 10th of January, he will come back to pick them up. Especially since I have had a relationship for the past few years, it is very convenient," Mr. Hong shared.