Flower village during Tet season

(Baonghean) - In preparation for the Tet flower season of the Year of the Goat 2015, from the beginning of November in the lunar calendar, the flower villages in the suburbs of Vinh City have been bustling with activity. Many traders from all over have also come here to view ornamental plants and place early orders, making the flower villages more lively than other seasons of the year.

Visiting Kim Chi flower and ornamental plant village (Nghi An commune - Vinh City), one can feel the bustling atmosphere of labor and production as farmers strive to ensure their flowers and ornamental plants are ready for Tet (Lunar New Year)... Mr. Nguyen Dinh Truc, Vice Chairman of the Nghi An Commune People's Committee, said: "During the period leading up to Tet, customers and traders from within and outside the province often come to Nghi An to visit and place orders for Tet flowers with the garden owners. To have flowers ready for sale before, during, and after Tet, people have to plant three crops; the first crop from the end of September to December 15th, and the second and third crops from October 15th to January 15th. For more than three months, every stage is crucial to the growth and development cycle of the flowers. A single mistake in any technical step can cost a family their main source of income for the year. Having been involved in this profession for decades, people learn from each other, each equipping themselves with knowledge and skills." "The ability to make the next crop yield even better than the previous one."

Farmers in Trung My flower village, Hung Dong commune (Vinh City) grow flowers to supply the market for the Lunar New Year.

To date, every resident of Nghi An has mastered the knowledge and skills to survive in this arduous profession. At the beginning of each season, the village sends people to Hanoi to select and purchase the best flower varieties to distribute to everyone. The most difficult part of growing flowers is ensuring they bloom precisely for Tet (Lunar New Year). If the weather is warm and sunny for an extended period, they must find ways to prevent the flowers from blooming too early; conversely, if the weather is very cold, they must spray growth stimulants and use electric heaters to encourage blooming. Mr. Nguyen Huu Thong, head of Kim Chi hamlet, said: “Each plot of land dedicated to flower cultivation yields an income of about 20-30 million VND. Thanks to their commitment to this profession, the lives of the people in Kim Chi village have changed. Some families involved in flower and ornamental plant cultivation earn hundreds of millions of VND annually. Therefore, although it is more difficult than farming, the people here are determined to stick with this profession.” According to statistics, the entire commune currently has nearly 300 households engaged in this profession, mainly concentrated in Kim Chi hamlet (130 households), Kim Phuc hamlet (100 households), Kim My hamlet (40 households)... Nghi An flowers mainly consist of chrysanthemums, roses, violets, and asters; there are currently 15 different chrysanthemum varieties grown on the villagers' land, such as crystal chrysanthemums, white chrysanthemums, green-stamened chrysanthemums, hyacinth chrysanthemums, silver chrysanthemums... In addition, there are also lilies, pansies, gladioli, and trumpet lilies... Especially lilies, according to the experience of some households who have been experimenting with growing them for the past 3 years, this is a "fickle" flower compared to the weather in Central Vietnam. But if successfully grown, a pot with 3-5 plants can be sold in the city during Tet for 150,000 - 250,000 VND/pot…

The atmosphere of spring is also everywhere when visiting Trung My flower village in Hung Dong commune (Vinh City). While busily installing additional lights for his chrysanthemum seedlings, planted just 8 days ago, Mr. Le Viet Thao (Trung My hamlet) happily shared: “On this garden of over 600 square meters, last year my family planted 3 batches of various types of chrysanthemums, selling them at 2,500 - 3,000 VND per plant. After deducting expenses, we earned over 40 million VND. This year, I continue to plant 8 different types of chrysanthemums, planting them in multiple batches so that we can harvest them gradually from the Gregorian New Year to the 15th day of the first lunar month. Flower farming may seem easy at first glance, but it's not simple at all. Besides mastering planting and care techniques, it also depends heavily on the weather. If conditions are favorable, growers can be sure of a profit. This year, we are hoping for a good chrysanthemum harvest because the weather is generally dry with little rain. If there is heavy rain and high humidity, it will create an environment for fungal diseases to develop, and for chrysanthemums in particular, just a heavy, prolonged rain will cause the plants to rot and not grow.” Okay. However, at this point it's still too early to say whether a flower season will be a success or a failure."

It has been more than 20 years since the first flowers were planted in Hung Dong commune, but it became a movement and expanded in area around 1995. Currently, nearly 300 households in the commune are engaged in this profession, producing on a stable area of ​​3.5 hectares annually. Depending on the actual conditions, each household produces at least 4,000 plants, with some households producing over 20,000, mainly for consumption during the Lunar New Year. To enhance economic value, in the last four years, in addition to traditional flowers, people have boldly invested in planting more high-end varieties such as lilies, orchids, and tulips. Through many years of dedication to the profession, the people's experience has gradually improved, especially their awareness of creating products closely linked to the consumer market. For more than four years now, in order to have a stable income, in addition to producing flowers for the Tet market, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh and Ms. Tran Thi Ha (Trung My hamlet) have also been supplying various types of flower seedlings, as well as caring for and decorating the entire area in Ho Chi Minh Square...

Besides preparing flowers for the Tet market, ornamental plant and bonsai growers are also busy tidying and caring for their plants to ensure they are ready for the Tet market. With hundreds of different plant varieties, including many new varieties prepared this year such as: water jasmine, laurel, kumquat, frangipani, and evergreen juniper... Due to the nature of ornamental plants being sold year-round, growers must constantly update their varieties to meet market demand during Tet. With less than two months until the Lunar New Year of the Goat, flower and ornamental plant growers are actively caring for and technically treating their plants to ensure the flowers bloom at the right time. Besides planting at the right time and the meticulous care of the growers, the timing of the flowers blooming for Tet also depends heavily on the weather. Therefore, flower growers are anxiously awaiting favorable weather conditions at the end of the year for a vibrant and prosperous Tet celebration.

Text and photos:Ngoc Anh