Springtime talks about the hobby of growing daffodils.

According to journalist Nguyen Vinh Quyen, an expert on Hanoi's cuisine and culture, the tradition of displaying daffodils during Tet (Lunar New Year) has been around for a long time, and daffodils are always present in Hanoi's households during the Tet holiday.

“Narcissus is a special flower, blooming only once a year, during the twelfth lunar month and lasting until around the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Its petals are pure white, its stamens yellow, and it has a delicate fragrance; it only needs clean, pure water to thrive. Narcissus cultivation was a sophisticated pastime for Hanoians during Tet (Lunar New Year), but over time, this tradition has gradually faded. However, after the ups and downs of history, there are still people who love Hanoi, quietly preserving and passing on this cultural tradition, including young people,” shared journalist Nguyen Vinh Quyen.

That's why, in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of 2025, she organized a workshop inviting artisan Pham Hong Phuong to speak and guide participants in carving daffodils. This event is part of a series of activities called "For a Love of Hanoi" initiated by journalist Nguyen Vinh Quyen in 2024.

Artisan Pham Hong Phuong demonstrates how to trim and shape daffodils.

Pham Hong Phuong was originally a hotel training specialist. But with his love for daffodils, he has nearly 30 years of experience growing them. "I first learned about daffodils while studying abroad, but I didn't like them then because their smell was quite strong. In 1995, when I returned to my hometown and passed by Hang Luoc street, I saw people selling daffodil bulbs and pots, and I immediately liked them and bought some to try them out," Phuong recounted.

Initially, under rudimentary guidance from the seller and relying on his imagination, Phuong managed to get his daffodil pot to bloom, but only three flower clusters appeared. Later, to become more professional, Phuong had the opportunity to meet Mr. Dung (in Vong Thi village) to learn and exchange ideas about growing daffodils. He considers Mr. Dung his first mentor in daffodil cultivation, even though Phuong himself had been growing them for several years. Along with some flower-loving friends who wanted to revive the daffodil hobby in Hanoi, Pham Hong Phuong established the group "Daffodils and Friends," which now has a large membership. There, they regularly share skills in pruning, shaping, and styling daffodils.

According to artisan Pham Hong Phuong, "It only takes about 10-15 minutes to teach someone how to play the narcissus flower. But whether they can play it well or not depends on their perseverance and dedication to practice."

People often mistakenly think that learning to peel the bulbs is enough, but in reality, peeling daffodils only accounts for about 10%, while 90% is caring for and nurturing them, Mr. Phuong said. "Beginners spend about 1-2 hours peeling daffodils. But for the remaining 20 days until the daffodils bloom, they spend an hour with them every day. They have to wash them; after peeling, there's a lot of sap that needs to be removed to prevent bacteria, and they have to trim the flowers and leaves, brushing each root individually. Especially in Hanoi at the end of the year, when the weather is humid and the temperature rises, bacteria cling to the roots and the bulbs will rot. Caring for daffodils requires meticulous attention to detail, brushing each root individually. After 8-10 days, it can be easier because you only have to change the water, but then comes the shaping step. When the daffodils grow, you have to remove the leaves, bend the leaves, trim the leaves… then trim the flowers, adjusting the flower stems to the desired position," Mr. Phuong said.

According to Mr. Phuong, growing daffodils requires two things. First, patience and perseverance, because peeling daffodils requires removing each layer of petal one by one. Second, passion, because with enough love, anything is possible: "I myself am an impatient person, but since discovering this hobby when I was young, daffodils have helped me become more patient."

Journalist Nguyen Vinh Quyen said that perhaps no other workshop, even one that lasted more than an hour longer than scheduled, left people so reluctant to say goodbye as the one about daffodils. Amidst the faint scent of incense and the gentle fragrance of daffodils, everyone sipped tea and jam while admiring the flowers and listening to the speaker's wonderful insights. Some shed tears as they looked at the daffodils, remembering their grandmothers trimming flowers in the twelfth lunar month. Others shared tears of relief at having relied on the flowers to overcome life's challenges, and above all, a profound appreciation for the beauty of a flower that is particularly fond of cleanliness and requires the care of a discerning person.

Pham Hong Phuong shared detailed information to help people better understand the process from bulb to flower of daffodils, as well as sharing the philosophy of daffodils: beauty has no place for ease, but sometimes requires sacrifice, dedication, and devotion.

The talks and demonstrations on growing daffodils, as envisioned by journalist Vinh Quyen, aimed to spread a beautiful cultural tradition of Hanoi during Tet (Lunar New Year). Through these talks, listeners learned why many believe that growing daffodils at home during Tet brings good fortune, wards off bad luck, and helps families welcome a peaceful and happy new year.

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“I can never forget the days leading up to Tet when I was a child. Every year, my mother would buy baskets of daffodils from Hang Buom street. My father loved carving them so much, he would lose sleep and appetite over them. Many times, my mother threatened not to buy daffodils the following year so that my father wouldn't have to carve them; but she only said that, because from the beginning of the twelfth lunar month onwards, he would already be out selecting and buying them…”

(Excerpt from "Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Narcissus Flowers" by writer Vu Bang)

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/ngay-xuan-noi-ve-thu-choi-hoa-thuy-tien-10298925.html