Phu Van, often described as a small peninsula surrounded by rivers, has long been famous for its ornamental flower and plant cultivation. Phu Van flowers bloom year-round, creating a dazzling array of colors in the area. Especially during the Lunar New Year, flower growers are bustling in the fields, preparing shipments of flowers to the city, ensuring families can celebrate the holiday and welcome spring.
Stay awake with the flowers...
The images of the flower village at night, captured from above, resemble a shimmering, colorful lacquer painting. Visiting the very land along the riverbank of Hamlet 5, Phu Van Commune, reveals a life that is both busy and poetic. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Yen, wearing a hat tilted to shield her eyes from the sun, stands trimming the buds and branches of the yellow chrysanthemums. This is a chrysanthemum garden planted for Tet (Vietnamese New Year), with lush green leaves and branches, in the process of budding and blooming. The work may seem easy, but it is a very important step in flower care.
Ms. Yen said: "These flowers were planted in August after buying seedlings from Nam Dinh . This year, the weather has been favorable, and every plant we planted is thriving. Now, we can be 99% sure we'll be able to eat them!"
Chrysanthemums are one of the most widely grown flowers in Phu Van. After many years of growing and selling flowers, the locals have enough experience to know which varieties to cultivate and which to sell. Yellow Chrysanthemums and Crystal Chrysanthemums remain the main varieties. Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen said: "If the weather continues like this, we'll have a good harvest, otherwise we'll miss the planned deadline, because if it gets too cold, many gardens won't be ready for Tet (Lunar New Year)."
The flowerbeds illuminated at night on the other side are the off-season gardens. These flowers are planted for the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month). Mr. Le Duc An, Director of the Phu Van Flower and Ornamental Plant Ecotourism Cooperative, shared: “This flower field is lit up every winter night, making the Phu Van area look like a sparkling lacquer painting. But during the day, the flower field is bustling with farmers. Each type of flower requires different care, but it's much less strenuous than before.”
Why is the work less strenuous? Mr. Le Duc An explained that it's because the farmers now know how to apply technical advancements and science and technology to production. From irrigation systems for flowers to investing in furrowing machines and fertilizer application machines, the workforce has decreased while productivity has increased.
Mr. An said: “Farmers in Phu Van are still persistently cultivating traditional flower varieties for Tet such as peach blossoms, kumquats, chrysanthemums, roses, gladioli, lilies... In addition, high-tech flower varieties are imported through exchanges and partnerships with nurseries in Da Lat, Moc Chau, Hanoi... These are grown in greenhouses and sold at Phu Van High-Tech Flower Company. According to forecasts, this year the consumption of high-tech flowers will still mainly focus on orchids...”
The area dedicated to flower cultivation in the entire commune has increased by approximately 15-17% this year, and the income of the local people is also expected to increase by about 15%. Currently, the entire commune has 165.25 hectares of flowers and ornamental plants, with the largest area still concentrated in Hamlet 5.
People worry that "flowers bloom while people weep."
Mr. Nguyen Van Kien's house in Hamlet 5 is one of the households with the largest area for growing ornamental flowers. Mr. Kien's garden mainly grows peach blossoms, kumquats, roses, and gladiolus. Gladiolus plants are not difficult to grow; in the ninth lunar month, farmers must bring seedlings home to plant in the ground in time for Tet (Lunar New Year). However, compared to other types of flowers, the cost of gladiolus seedlings is more expensive. During harvesting, greenhouses and cold storage are needed to preserve the flowers for customers. Therefore, investing in one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of gladiolus requires 30 to 40 million VND in various costs. In contrast, one sao of chrysanthemums only costs about 20 to 30 million VND. The main costs for growing flowers include seedlings, water, fertilizer, electricity, and labor costs ranging from 250,000 to 300,000 VND per person per day.
The mindset of the people of Phù Vân in cultivating ornamental flowers has changed significantly. They now focus more on design and form. For example, ornamental flowers like peach blossoms and kumquats are now grown as bonsai or in pots, pruned to create flowers in various shapes that convey different ideas and messages about life and human dreams. While peonies used to be limited to a few basic colors, they now come in a wide variety of colors and types to meet the needs of flower enthusiasts.
Mr. Dang Van Phuc, from Hamlet 6, Phu Van, who has been growing many dahlias in Phu Van for many years, said: "Flower growers themselves must try to keep up with market demand, don't be too conservative and waste land and effort. If you like it but buyers don't, growing flowers is pointless!"
There are so many things to worry about, but the biggest concern for flower growers in Phu Van right now is how to sell all their flowers at a good price for Tet (Lunar New Year). As Dang Van Suot, the owner of a large peach blossom garden in Hamlet 6, said: “Hard work is inherent in farming, but we just hope that this year we won't see a situation where ‘flowers rejoice but people weep.’ Flower growers not only rely on the weather but also on the lives of their customers. For the past few years, due to the pandemic, people's economies have been quite difficult, and spending for Tet has been more cautious. Therefore, flower growers are often worried if by the 15th of the 12th lunar month no one has come to the garden to choose a plant.”
According to a report by the People's Committee of Phu Van commune, the commune's large flower growing area generated an income of 1 billion VND per hectare in 2023. For Phu Van flower growers, the Lunar New Year is just one aspect of their lives; the year-round flower cultivation is their profession, their livelihood, and their very existence. As Tet approaches, flowers begin to bloom, their buds a symbol of hope, from the soil of Phu Van.
Jiangnan
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