Adding more vibrant colors to the spring season...

Amidst the dry, sunny days of the year-end, peach, chrysanthemum, and apricot blossom gardens are "transforming" to show off their colors, carrying with them the hope and anticipation of the farmers of Ha Tinh for a successful spring flower season after months of diligent work in the fields.

The story of the flower growers on the banks of the Nghèn River.

For nearly five years now, every year leading up to the Lunar New Year, the garden by the Nghèn River belonging to Mr. Võ Văn Ràn (Tây Hương village, Tùng Lộc commune, Can Lộc district) becomes even greener with rows of chrysanthemums entering their budding season. Although he has only recently started growing flowers for the Lunar New Year, for Mr. Ràn, this work is a passion to which he pours all his heart and soul.

Mr. Vo Van Ran's chrysanthemum garden in a greenhouse on the banks of the Nghen River in Tay Huong village (Tung Loc, Can Loc).

Mr. Ran said: "Although I've loved growing flowers for a long time, I never thought I'd be able to do it. Then, as if by fate, the Nghen River was desalinated, and the land in my family's riverside garden became increasingly fertile. My daughter, who graduated from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry and had worked in gardens in Da Lat for a while, returned and, knowing my desire, discussed with me the idea of ​​building this model."

With guidance from his daughter and a diligent pursuit of knowledge, in early 2020, Mr. Ran invested in building a greenhouse on his 500 m2 plot of land. The first flower crop, while not as successful as expected, opened up prospects for his любимое work. Through persistent learning from books and practical experience, the second flower crop for Tet (Lunar New Year) in 2021 brought great success to his family. The garden not only had a high growth rate but also produced large, dense, and beautifully colored flowers... For the Tet flower crops of 2022 and 2023, he expanded the greenhouse area to 1,000 ^m2 .

Mr. Vo Van Ran wraps chrysanthemum buds in netting for the 2024 Lunar New Year celebration.

Mr. Ran recounted: “Flower farming may seem easy, but it's actually very busy. Caring for the plants to grow and bloom as expected is a monumental task, requiring the grower to dedicate almost all their energy to the garden. Besides book knowledge, experience is crucial. For me, from planting to harvesting, I pay close attention to every change in the plants. Whenever I see pests, diseases, or unusual signs, I record them, research, and consult my daughter and experts… Thanks to that, I know how to adjust and care for the flowers to ensure they grow to the desired level.”

Despite facing floods and pest infestations on both planting attempts in early October during the 2023 season, Mr. Ran successfully overcame these challenges. Currently, his more than 500 square meters of garden (including 1,000 square meters of greenhouse space and 500 square meters outdoors) with over 50,000 chrysanthemum plants of various types, such as large-flowered and diamond-shaped, are thriving and budding, awaiting sale. Hearing about Mr. Ran's beautiful flowers, many gardeners in the province have come to learn from his experience. He not only shares his knowledge but also diligently visits their gardens, pointing out any mistakes in their care practices.

“Flower farming brings my family an income of about 140 million VND per season, after deducting expenses, we have 100 million VND left. However, the most meaningful spiritual joy for me is being able to pursue my passion, learn, and be creative in the fields and gardens. Especially during Tet (Lunar New Year), seeing the fruits of my labor bring the colors of spring to every home makes me very happy,” Mr. Ran shared.

Farmers in Hong Loc commune (Loc Ha district) are tending to flowers for Tet (Lunar New Year).

The cultivation of flowers such as chrysanthemums and lilies for the Lunar New Year in Ha Tinh province is relatively new but has quickly spread to many localities. Currently, in Thach Ha district, there is the Xuan Son flower village (Luu Vinh Son); in Ha Tinh city, there is Thach Quy ward; in Loc Ha district, there are households in Hong Loc commune; and in Nghi Xuan and Duc Tho districts, there are also some households specializing in flower cultivation. Besides bringing economic benefits, the development of flower cultivation reflects the improving spiritual life of the people.

"Diary" of the peach blossom village in Bau Am hamlet

Bau Am village (Luu Vinh Son commune) is considered one of the earliest villages in Ha Tinh province to cultivate peach blossoms for the Lunar New Year. Currently, the entire village has over 200 households specializing in peach blossom cultivation, with thousands of trees sold each year. Peach blossom cultivation has provided the people here with a decent income, contributing to a stable economy, but few know the origin of the peach blossom tree in this area.

People in Bau Am village (Luu Vinh Son commune, Thach Ha district) strip the leaves from peach trees, waiting for the buds to bloom.

Having been involved in growing peach blossoms for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) for 20 years, Mr. Vo Van Trung (55 years old, Bau Am village) remembers each flowering season as pages in his diary. Mr. Trung recounts: “Back in the 2000s, my family was one of the first households to grow peach blossoms for Tet in Bau Am village. At that time, the peach tree my father had planted many years ago in our garden bloomed beautifully every year and then bore a lot of fruit. I thought: the land and climate of our hometown are suitable for peach trees, but we didn't know how to turn it into an economically valuable crop like in other places. So I started learning on my own, propagating seedlings, and planting. After two years of care, the first Tet harvest yielded many results, and I began to expand the model. After that, many other households started developing peach blossom cultivation.”

Mr. Vo Van Trung, one of the first peach tree growers in Bau Am village, will bring 100 peach trees to the market this year.

Since then, every spring, the peach blossoms of Bau Am (Thach Vinh), now Luu Vinh Son, bloom, beautifying every family and office during the Lunar New Year. This year, among the thousands of peach trees sold to the market by more than 200 households in Bau Am, 100 belong to Mr. Vo Van Trung's family.

Mr. Trung estimates that the 100 peach trees he plans to sell will bring in an income of about 80 million VND. What's special is that, even though he's been involved in this business for over 20 years, he still gets his peach seeds from an "ancient" peach tree left behind by his father – a tree that's about 60 years old.

“Even though that peach tree was infested with termites, it remained healthy and green, bearing flowers and fruit regularly every year. The peach saplings grown from it still yielded outstanding results, so my brothers and I, as well as many other villagers, still care for and harvest the fruit from the peach tree my father left behind, using it for planting seedlings every year. Every spring, when the village is filled with the colors of flowers, I remember the first peach seasons when I and the villagers planted them,” Mr. Vo Van Trung expressed.

Orchids thrive in challenging terrain.

This Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon), along with anticipating traditional flowers, people in Ha Tinh are also excited about Phalaenopsis orchids. This is because, for the first time, a facility is growing this flower in large quantities for sale on the market. This is the greenhouse orchid cultivation model of Mr. Pham Van Huy (Thach Khe commune, Thach Ha district). The high-tech model covers an area of ​​2,500 m2 and received an investment of 7.5 billion VND, featuring many modern orchid cultivation systems such as: a five-layer greenhouse, an industrial air conditioning system to ensure the flowers bloom on-site... After a period of operation, this year's Tet holiday, the model is expected to sell 600,000 Phalaenopsis orchid plants to the market, with estimated revenue of 8 billion VND.

People visit the orchid garden in the greenhouse of Mr. Pham Van Huy in Thach Khe commune (Thach Ha district).

Mr. Pham Van Huy, the owner of the model, said: “I was born in a village in Thai Binh province, but since graduating from Hanoi University of Agriculture 1 in 2005, I moved to Ha Tinh to start my career. Because I love orchid cultivation, along with my book knowledge, I independently researched and learned from many gardeners and decided to establish this model at the beginning of 2023. Bringing orchids to a place with a harsh climate like Ha Tinh was a risk, but now I can confidently say that my direction was right. I feel excited that after much effort in caring for them, the flowers I grow will add the color of spring to each family.”

Mr. Pham Van Huy (on the left) shows visitors the phalaenopsis orchids in his family's orchid cultivation model.

Along with the steadily improving economy, the spiritual life of the people of Ha Tinh is constantly being enhanced. As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, every family is bustling with preparations, buying peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids, and other flowers to bring the spirit of the New Year to their homes. And with that excitement, flower growers are even more enthusiastic and diligent in their care, ensuring a vibrant and beautiful spring flower season...

Thien Vy

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nui-hong-song-la/them-sac-tham-ngay-xuan/260182.htm