Casual Conversation: Silky March on the Bougainvillea-lined Path

The golden sunshine of March stretches across the streets of Saigon, marking the time when bougainvillea flowers burst into bloom. While bougainvillea usually blooms year-round, it is only in March, with its abundant sunshine, that the flowers reach their most vibrant state.

Under the scorching midday sun, strangely enough, the delicate paper flowers remained unfazed by the harsh weather, even swaying gently in the breeze as if softly singing a song. It shows that not everything fragile is easily broken.

Every day, I walk along Truong Sa Street on my way to work, surrounded by bougainvillea. Having lived here for over 10 years, I often take a morning walk to exercise and admire the foliage, so I'm practically familiar with the areas where each type of plant grows. Every few steps I take, I encounter rows of magnolias, golden scorpions, frangipani, roses, and bougainvillea. Even though I knew beforehand that the bougainvillea bushes would cover the railings, I'm still amazed in March by the carpet of flowers, like a silken fabric, in a multitude of eye-catching colors. Flowers and plants certainly know how to surprise us, making us exclaim in delight.

Science proves that gazing at flowers and plants brings mental relaxation. I imagine how many eyes meet that carpet of flowers every day, and in that brief moment, they temporarily forget their daily worries, feeling more relaxed and optimistic. Besides the physical body, we also need to take care of our mental health. No one can avoid the invisible and visible pressures of city life. If the tonic to relax our minds costs nothing—just gazing at flowers—why not slow down and nourish our spirits? And haven't those simple flowers already done a miracle for us?

On New Year's Day, my niece in Da Lat had the chance to admire the vibrant cherry blossoms. I heard it had been a long time since the cherry blossoms bloomed so profusely. The cherry blossom-lined roads seemed to have donned new clothes, attracting not only tourists from afar but also locals who were seeing the blossoms in full bloom for the first time. My niece said that on some days she would pack up her work to go out and enjoy the flowers, fearing that the day would pass too quickly and the blossoms would wither. It's rare for the whole family to have breakfast together in the cool weather, admiring the romantic cherry blossoms right before our eyes – a scene as poetic as any tourist destination in the West.

I also grow a few flowering plants on my rooftop. Growing plants in the city isn't easy, because plants still need moisture from the soil to thrive. Some people see how much effort I put into it and advise me to buy fresh flowers from the market if I like. There are roses, carnations, lilies, chrysanthemums… you can find anything you want. That's true, but the joy of gardening is only understood by those who experience it. Gazing at a rose that I've personally cultivated and watered always brings a more profound feeling. Some mornings when I go up to visit the garden, just the sight of the green leaves fills my heart with joy.

Even bougainvillea, an easy-to-grow, easy-to-bloom flower that thrives anywhere, still fills me with an indescribable joy when I see that tiny pink dot at the leaf axil, knowing it will bloom in a few days.

Flowers and foliage also remind me to slow down, connect more with the present moment, and not miss the most beautiful moments that nature offers. At such times, my soul feels light and filled with gratitude for life.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhan-dam-thang-ba-lua-la-tren-cung-duong-hoa-giay-185260314182640163.htm