While visiting Nhat Tan flower village in Hanoi these days, visitors can feel the hustle and bustle of the farmers, who work against time taking care of flowers to meet the increasing demand during the upcoming Tet holiday. Mr. Nguyen Thai Long is a farmer in Nhat Tan village, who has 70 years of experience in planting and cultivating peaches. He said: “Several of these peach trees are already beginning to bloom while thousands of others are still awaiting care from the farmers. I feel optimistic about the peach crop this year. This spring’s weather is favorable and I believe the flowers will blossom exactly on Tet days.”

Weeks before Tet, flower farmers geared up for their busiest season, with many in a rush and with no time away from their gardens. Nguyen Van Hanh, owner of a peach garden, said: “We have to monitor the weather before plucking peach-blossom leaves for fresh flower buds to grow. If it is too cold, the trees need to be cared for and watered so they can stay healthy. The North’s cold spells will prevent the peach flowers from blooming on time.”

People flock to flower gardens to buy peach blossom ahead of Tet (Photo: hanoitv.vn)

During this time, many agencies and companies go to Nhat Tan and Tu Lien villages to buy or rent peach or kumquat trees for New Year decoration. Buyer Thieu Chi Thuynh chose an old peach tree with broad branches and several young buds, which he believes will bring good luck for his company in the year to come. Thuynh said: “It’s my routine to visit flower villages this season and choose a peach blossom tree for my company. The ones I bought from Nhat Tan village bloomed beautifully during Tet, so I came back for more.”

Quang Ba flower market before Tet holiday (Photo: Culturetrip)

Tu Lien flower village is welcoming guests to order bonsai. Aside from traditional kumquat trees, bonsai kumquat trees are also a popular Lunar New Year staple. This year, Tu Lien artisans have many unique ideas, one of which is bending the kumquat trees into the shape of a buffalo - the zodiac sign of 2021. According to garden owners, the golden kumquat tree shaped into a buffalo symbolizes the owner’s desire for good health, wealth, and prosperity in the upcoming year. The kumquat trees with flowers, buds, green fruits and ripe fruit are most favored, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the price is10-20% lower than usual. Pham Thu Thuy, owner of Sinh Thuy Garden said: "A kumquat tree, which was sold at 550 USD last year, will cost 450 USD this year. We sold 50 trees at this time last year, but currently we’ve only sold 30. Many customers have not arrived yet.”

With the creativity of gardeners, more kumquat shapes and peach trees are available, meeting the high and diverse demands of buyers.