Rich Tet flower market

(Baonghean) -According to many traders, the market for flowers and ornamental plants for Tet this year may be quieter than last year. In addition, the economic situation is still difficult, consumers continue to cut spending, so gardeners do not increase prices to attract customers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, owner of Duc Phuong Bonsai shop on Le Nin Avenue, said: "Since the beginning of December (lunar calendar), we have imported enough flowers and ornamental plants to serve the needs of Tet; from "popular" flowers such as: chrysanthemums, gerberas, cat's claws, lilies to those originating from abroad with "soft" prices such as: azaleas, narcissus, flamingo flowers, mai hoa dang... This year, the trend of buying small flower pots, strange flowers for decoration is also popular and the selling price of these flowers is quite "soft", from 70,000 VND to 500,000 VND/pot depending on the type; especially hanging flowers such as periwinkle, lipstick orchid, mai chieu thuy... can "play" for several months and are also easy to care for". Garden owners as well as flower and ornamental plant shop owners for Tet tend to choose beautiful but affordable plants to attract customers, high-end flowers and ornamental plants are rarely imported. Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh, owner of a flower and ornamental plant shop, said: "This year, there are fewer customers coming to buy, most of them just come to look and consult the price but have not bought anything. In addition to traditional flowers, I have imported some new plants from southern gardens, but the prices are also reasonable, such as primrose, silver tree, white horse tree, Korean lotus... These days, customers come to buy flowers and ornamental plants mainly at the price of hundreds of thousands; plants priced in the millions such as Dai Loc, Dai Phu, Lam Duong, Kim Tien, Thiet Co Thu... have few customers".

Apricot and kumquat trees are sold on many streets of Vinh City.

In recent years, the flower and ornamental plant market has seen a boom in the trend of "renting" plants during Tet. Many offices and families continue to prefer renting ornamental plants from garden owners or from shops to reduce costs while still having the opportunity to enjoy high-quality flowers and ornamental plants. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, owner of a flower and ornamental plant shop on Truong Thi Street (Vinh City), the types of ornamental plants that customers prefer and rent are peach, apricot, linden, hai chau, and angelica... These are trees with unique and beautiful shapes, carefully cared for and possessing many feng shui elements; When renting, customers are provided with many convenient services such as transportation support, decoration, care or providing ornamental plants suitable for the design of the house... "The rental price of ornamental plants from December 25 to the end of the third day of Tet is on average from 3 to 10 million VND/tree, depending on the type. Trees that have been shaped and shaped for many years, especially old trees, can cost up to tens of millions, which is normal. After Tet, under the care of artisans, those ornamental plants will still maintain their beauty for the following years" - Mr. Tam added.

As bustling as fresh flowers, the artificial flower market is also bustling "in season". Prices depend on materials, origin, and level of sophistication. This year, the most popular flowers are peach blossoms imported from Thailand, priced at 200,000 VND/branch; Korean rose bushes, priced at 70,000 VND/branch...".

Joining the Tet flower market, there is also a type of clay flower with a color as bright as real flowers. Combining all the elements of beauty and durability... clay flowers have impressed many customers. The price of this type of flower is relatively high, from 3 - 5 million VND/large vase, 500,000 - 1 million VND/medium vase, the price of small vases for the table ranges from 80,000 - 350,000 VND/vase. According to the business community, the flowers are made from clay in Thailand, Japan, Korea... but are of better quality and more suitable for the weather in the North. With the mixing ratio being the secret of each artisan, the average lifespan of the flower is from 3-5 years, if well preserved it can be up to 7 years...

Article and photos: Ngoc Anh