Decorate with unique fruit branches to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chestnut branches, persimmons, melons, mini pumpkins, or wild bananas are being sought after by many families to decorate their homes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

At the end of August, Ms. Hoang Thi Ngoc Anh (36 years old) from Hoang Mai district ( Hanoi ) ordered a bunch of chestnut branches to put in a vase. "I'm passionate about flower arranging and unique fruit branches, so when I saw someone selling imported fresh chestnut branches, I ordered them right away," Ms. Anh said.

A small bundle of chestnut branches (about 5 branches) costs around 180,000 VND. The owner said that arranging fresh chestnut branches is similar to other types of fruit, but the fruit has many sharp thorns, so care is needed when trimming. After two or three days, the leaves begin to wilt, the fruit dries out and cracks, revealing the plump, dark brown nuts inside.

"These branches are quite durable, but the most interesting thing is being able to watch the whole process from when the fruit is fresh until it dries and the seeds fall off, so it's definitely worth a try," said the 36-year-old woman.

Besides chestnut branches, Ms. Ngoc Anh also tried arranging branches of physalis (gourd fruit), as the red and orange colors are very suitable for Mid-Autumn Festival decorations. The selling price is about 145,000-160,000 VND for 5 branches.

These branches can last from one to three weeks. To prevent root rot, Ms. Anh advises that people should use just the right amount of water and change it daily.

Imported mini pumpkin branches, also known as mini pumpkin branches ( pumpkin on stick ), with their beautiful red and yellow colors, are perfect for autumn weather and are sought after by many people for home decoration.

"Tomato stems, when left for a long time, tend to wilt, but they still retain their vibrant, beautiful color, giving a feeling of abundance, warmth, and fullness," said Ms. Ngoc Anh.

Artist Nguyen Hoang Anh from Long Bien (Hanoi) is looking to buy a large persimmon branch (1.8 m high, 2 m wide) to decorate his living room.

"I personally really enjoy arranging fruit branches, especially Vietnamese produce. It's not only visually appealing, but it also makes me feel like I'm living in nature and allows me to make unique observations, which inspires my creative work," said Hoang Anh.

Compared to branches of persimmon, peach, or apricot blossoms that the artist used to display, persimmon branches are more difficult to arrange due to their large size, requiring careful selection of the shape and placement within the house. However, this type of branch is highly durable, and the ripe fruit has a gentle fragrance, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

The male artist once tried arranging branches of wild apples from the Northwest mountainous region. Not only is it a hobby and a way to beautify his living space, but Hoàng Anh also says that arranging fruit branches helps people in the mountainous areas increase their income and makes it easier to sell lower-quality, less popular fruits.

Having been involved in fruit tree cultivation for many years, Ms. Tran Thi Dinh from Ha Dong district (Hanoi) also tried arranging melon branches. Each bundle of fruit costs about 60,000-70,000 VND.

According to Ms. Dinh, the branches of the cantaloupe plant are sturdy and quite thick, so they need to be placed in a heavy vase to prevent them from tipping over. The secret to keeping them fresh for a long time is to wash the base of the branch and change the water every 5 days, which helps the fruit stay fresh for 10-15 days.

Always fond of collecting unique and exotic fruit branches, Ms. Dinh once ordered a branch of wild lemons to decorate her home. "This lemon tree was damaged by pests, and the locals had to cut it down. I felt sorry for it, so I bought it. Luckily, when I put the fresh fruit branch in a vase, it lasted for a whole month," she explained.

Decorating her house with lemon branches, Ms. Dinh said she was delighted by the lush green of the leaves and fruit, and enjoyed the gentle, refreshing aroma spreading throughout the room.

In Hai Phong , Ms. Thao Linh ordered coffee berry branches for 120,000 VND on September 19th. To arrange them in a vase, she divided the bundle into individual branches of varying sizes and leaves. Then, using wire mesh, she threaded the branches around the outside, selecting larger branches to fill in the gaps. Finally, she placed leaves around the vase to create a soft, delicate effect.

Speaking about the unique feature of the coffee branch, Ms. Linh said it's the combination of colors—green, yellow, and red—on the same branch when the coffee berries ripen. "Compared to other types, coffee branches are very durable; I've kept them fresh and beautiful for two weeks. The berries don't fall off after wilting but dry on the stem, making them very easy to clean," she said.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Nguyen The Hoang (29 years old) from Thanh Hoa also ordered wild banana blossoms along with a bunch of fruit from Tuyen Quang, because he wanted to decorate his living and working spaces in a traditional style.

According to Mr. Hoang, to create such a huge banana flower arrangement, he had to buy a large, heavy bell-shaped vase to prevent it from tipping over. After receiving the flowers, he began removing damaged or bruised leaves and fruits for cleaning. Then, he filled the vase with water and added a packet of flower food to keep the flowers fresh longer, prevent the stems from rotting, and reduce any unpleasant odor.

Regarding care, Hoang said that banana flowers don't absorb much water, so the base of the flower only needs to be cleaned and damaged parts removed every 5-7 days, and the water changed to ensure they last for three to four weeks.

"Seeing the beautiful pink blossoms of the wild banana trees and the bananas ripening day by day is truly a delightful sight," said Mr. Hoang.

Quynh Nguyen Photo: Provided by the subject

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