(VOVWORLD) - Flowers are indispensable for a Vietnamese family when Tet, Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year, arrives. From north to south, there are many villages growing flowers and many flower markets selling them. Though people in different regions prefer different flowers, the most popular and beloved Tet flowers are peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, orchids, roses, kumquat trees, and ornamental trees.
Peach blossom in Tay Tuu village
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These days, horticulturists nationwide are carefully tending their flowers so that they will begin to bloom just before New Year’s day.
In Tay Tuu village, one of the largest flower growing villages in Hanoi, lilies and daisies are cultivated together with more traditional Tet flowers like roses and violets.
Nguyen Hoang Luu, a local, told VOV: “This year we have planted a variety of flowers for Tet. Right now the prices are not very high - a dollar for 10 roses, 70 cents for 10 daisies. But on the 28th or 29th day of the last lunar month, flower prices will soar. I’m watering and carefully tending the flowers to get them to bloom exactly during Tet.”
Van Duong flower village in Hoa Lien hamlet, one of the largest growing areas in Da Nang, grows 40 flower varieties, including daisies, cockscombs, petunias, and begonias.
Pham Van Huy, a Van Duong villager, told VOV that his flowers are growing well right now and are ready to supply central region markets.
“My family plants about 60,000 flowerpots, most of which have been sold wholesale to traders. We also sell to retail customers, half of whom are regular customers. The usual wholesale price for shops is 1.7 USD a pot, but during the Tet season the price rises to 2.6 USD per pot. This year we expect to earn about 22,000 USD from selling flowers,” said Huy.
Vo Van Khai, an agriculture official in My Binh ward, Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, a large flower growing area in Ninh Thuan province, said that due to favorable weather, horticulturists can save the cost of pesticide and electricity used to warm the flowers.
“The yellow daisy growing area in Mỹ Bình provides enough flowers for markets and small traders before, during, and after Tet. The area is preparing now for the Tet harvest,” said Khai.
Visitors to Sa Dec flower village in Dong Thap province
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Sa Dec village in Dong Thap province supplies flowers and ornamental plants to Mekong Delta localities. This year Sa Dec expects to sell 3 million pots of various kinds of flowers.
Floriculturists in HCMC supply flowers to the local market and ship flowers to markets in the central and northern region.
Nguyen Van Hoan, owner of a big orchid garden in HCMC’s Binh Chanh district, said: “My family specializes in growing orchids. We sell flowerpots instead of sprigs to provinces nationwide. This year’s orchid market is very busy. My flowers are very popular in the southwestern region.”
Flowers and bonsai trees produce substantial incomes for many flower-growing villages during Tet.