Wild orchids down the street

(Baonghean) - In the world of flowers, orchids always occupy a unique position, because of their beauty, both noble and wild and rustic. From the forest to the city, colorful orchid pots have created a very elaborate hobby...

No one knows since when, the flower species that seems to only exist in mountainous areas, plateaus or deep deserted forests has a colorful world in the bustling city. Unlike other flowers, which only need to be cultivated and watered properly to be able to live well and bear fruit, orchids cause "difficulty" for their owners because of their "fickle" and difficult-to-care-for and difficult-to-please characteristics. Each orchid species has its own requirements for the living environment, so the care techniques are also different: popular like Phalaenopsis orchids with their simple beauty, gentle colors, and occasional black dot patterns are often suitable for office or hotel environments; Bat Tien orchids prefer open spaces and cool air because they have long and thick foliage, need light for photosynthesis... Therefore, to enjoy orchids, players must accept the sophistication, delicacy, and patience.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Trung takes care of orchids.

Each player has his own "pocket" experiences to maintain this hobby. "First wind, second water, third diligence, fourth variety", that is the conclusion after more than 3 years of playing orchids of Mr. Nguyen Manh Trung (house number 10A, lane 2A, Bui Huy Bich street). He shared: "To have a beautiful orchid pot, you need to pay attention to two factors: shade and water. These two factors must be balanced, suitable for the characteristics of each type of orchid, otherwise the plant will not flower, and will even die from root rot". While talking, he carefully trimmed the roots of the Vu Nu orchid pot. This is a very special orchid variety, the flowers are small but have very large lips, often yellow and have brown spots on the petals. When blooming, the flowers have a soft shape like a dancing girl, so it is called Vu Nu.

Like Mr. Trung, Mr. Bui Cong Duc - an employee selling car paint products (No. 30, Phan Boi Chau Street) is also a connoisseur of orchids. Currently, Mr. Duc owns more than 30 orchid pots of various types, most of which are wild orchids that he brought back from his business trips to the mountains, or were given to him by acquaintances. Looking at the orchid garden in full bloom, Mr. Duc recalls the first days of receiving the orchids, struggling to take care of them but still not succeeding. Wondering why he kept watering, fertilizing, and sunbathing the plants but the orchid pots were gradually withering? He was determined to learn information and care techniques from seniors in the orchid growing community, and on the other hand, accessing the internet to learn from near and far.

And the plants do not disappoint those who have a heart, the orchid garden has revived thanks to the valuable lesson he learned after many months of research: no matter what type of orchid you find, when you bring it home, you must create a suitable living environment. Mr. Bui Cong Duc excitedly said: "For example, there are types of orchids found on the banks of streams, so when you bring them home, you must put them in a shady and humid place. On the contrary, plants that live on large tree trunks with bright light must be planted in a place with lots of sunlight and ventilation, otherwise the plants will be sunburned and will not flower." While speaking, Mr. Duc carefully held the Cymbidium pot next to him for me to see. To fertilize the plants to take root well, he had to take the trouble to ask for mud from the bottom of the pond, because mud is clean and cool and is not a habitat for worms, so there is no fear of those soft-bodied creatures harming the plant. When watering, you have to soak fish or snail water for months to get rid of the smell before watering."

Nowadays, finding and buying an orchid pot is no longer too difficult when orchids are widely sold on many streets of the bustling Vinh City. The only thing is, buyers must be really observant to know which orchid species are suitable for the living environment for easy care. Orchids on the market are mainly imported from the southern provinces, so when bought, they are difficult to bloom, and even easily wither. Orchid connoisseurs in Vinh City often choose flower varieties originating from the northern provinces, with cool soil, suitable for the growing climate of the Central region.

However, even the most knowledgeable orchid connoisseurs still do not dare to claim to be proficient and “sharp-eyed” in the face of hundreds of orchid species sold on the market. There is a reality that sellers mix fern varieties and other forest plants into orchid stems to add weight, because there are many types of orchids sold by the kilogram, and if you are not careful, you will immediately “fall into the trap”. Not only that, many people, before selling, soak the plants in water every night to make them look plump and eye-catching; or use chemicals and stimulants to make the orchids bloom at the desired time. Orchid stems that go against the laws of nature and are subjected to many impacts like that will never bloom for long, will not have a natural fragrance, and will even greatly affect the health of the player… And of course, these “chemical orchids”, “industrial orchids”, will never exist in the hearts of true flower lovers. Because the value of these wild flowers lies in their rustic and proud appearance, leaving no room for anything fake.

Article and photos:Hoang Vu

(57 Phung Phuc Kieu - Vinh City)