As Tet approaches, orchard owners who rent out peach blossom trees sit around all day waiting for customers.

The garden owner sits and waits for customers.

On the morning of the 29th day of the lunar year, along Lenin Avenue in Vinh City, besides other types of Tet flowers, the "gardens" of peach blossom trees for sale and rent were still overflowing. After the first sale, on the 22nd day of the lunar year, Mr. Cuong, from Nghi Phu commune, Vinh City, brought in another batch of nearly 60 peach blossom trees. However, while in previous years the peach blossoms were basically sold out by the 25th or 26th day of the lunar year, this year, by the 28th day of the lunar year, he still had nearly 40 peach blossom trees left unsold.

From the 15th day of the 12th lunar month onwards, the streets along Lenin Street are filled with peach blossom trees for sale and rent. Photo: Phu Huong

Having spent over 1.5 billion VND to acquire 150 pink peach blossom trees from Hai Phong starting on December 16th (lunar calendar), by the 24th day of the lunar month, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung from Hamlet 3, Nghi An Commune, Vinh City, had only managed to sell and rent out 6 trees. “I rent them out until after the 15th day of the first lunar month before taking them back to the nursery for care. But normally, by the 24th or 25th of the twelfth lunar month, most of the large trees are gone, leaving mostly only smaller ones. This year, however, by the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, I had only sold 6 trees. I've been in this business for over 10 years, but I've never experienced such slow sales as this year,” Mr. Hung said. According to Mr. Hung, this year, along Lenin Street, the number of flower vendors is higher than last year, while the number of buyers and renters has decreased significantly.

Beautifully shaped peach blossom trees are being offered at lower prices than last year. Photo: Phu Huong

Rental prices have dropped sharply.

The trend of renting peach blossom trees for Tet (Lunar New Year) has been around for decades and is growing. According to garden owners, during Tet, only small peach blossom trees are usually sold, while larger trees are mostly rented rather than bought. Rental prices depend on the size of the tree and the number of flowers. However, this year, rental prices are cheaper, but demand has still decreased significantly. Many garden owners are waiting for customers.

Introducing a large, beautiful peach blossom tree he brought from Hai Phong to a customer, Mr. Cuong said that last year he rented it out for 70 million VND. This year, even before the 20th of the 12th lunar month, a customer offered 40 million VND, but he refused, hoping for a higher price. However, by the afternoon of the 28th of Tet (Lunar New Year), he still hadn't sold it. According to Mr. Cuong, he would deliver it to the customer's home if they offered around 20 million VND.

The peach tree trunk is being offered for rent at 20 million VND. Photo: Phu Huong

“I rented this peach tree from the nursery for 18 million dong, not including the transportation costs from there and the delivery fees to the customer's house. By today, I just hope to recoup my investment. This peach tree is not only for its flowers but also for its fruit, as it has buds, flowers, and fruit all on it. I'm renting it out until the 18th of January,” Mr. Cuong said.

Not only peach blossom vendors, but many other ornamental plant sellers are also sitting around waiting for customers as it's already the afternoon of the 28th day of the lunar month. Photo: Phu Huong

Besides some smaller peach trees with beautiful shapes and flowers, which have been rented out for 6.5 - 7.5 million VND, there are also smaller peach trees with buds that will only bloom around the first or second day of Tet (Lunar New Year), priced at 4-5 million VND by the "garden" owner, but there are very few inquiries and people are hesitant to rent them. According to Mr. Cuong, peach trees that were rented out for 13-15 million VND a week ago are now being sold for only 6-6.5 million VND if a buyer is found in the days leading up to Tet, and even lower for rent.

When bringing peach trees from Nam Dinh, Mr. Tran Van Hai in Hung Nguyen district has to pay an average of 10 million VND per tree for rental, not including other costs. Some larger, more beautiful trees can fetch up to 14-15 million VND for rental. However, when brought to Vinh, he only manages to rent them out for an average of 10-14 million VND per tree.

"New customers" compare prices at various plant nurseries before making a rental decision. Photo: Phu Huong

“The pink peach blossoms are grafted from wild peach trees and Nhat Tan peach trees. They bloom gradually, not all at once like the pale pink peach blossoms, so they last a long time. Every year, I normally rent them out for 15-25 million VND per tree, but this year the price is only about half of last year's. In my entire ‘garden’ of dozens of peach trees, only one tree, rented out for 38 million VND and transported to Yen Ly, is the most expensive. “The peach trees in the North had a poor harvest, so we thought they would fetch a good price this year. However, they are expensive to buy and unsold in Nghe An, forcing us to lower the selling price,” Hai said dejectedly.

According to orchard owners, pink peach blossoms bloom gradually rather than all at once like pale pink peach blossoms, so they last much longer. Photo: Phu Huong

For the past 5-6 years, Mr. Nguyen Canh Hong, a business owner in Hung Phuc ward, Vinh City, has stopped buying peach blossom trees for Tet (Lunar New Year). Instead, he rents them at a price only about one-third of the cost, and they are larger and more beautiful. "I don't rent overly large peach blossom trees because I don't need them; they usually cost between 3-4 million VND, and this year the price is even cheaper. From around the 28th of Tet, the tree owner will deliver them to the company, and I'll come back to pick them up on the 10th of January. Especially in recent years, I've had a regular customer, so it's very convenient," Mr. Hong shared.