In HCM City, Tết flowers are ready ahead of time

In HCM City, Tết flowers are ready ahead of time

Many vendors in HCM City are already selling ornamental flower pots for Tết though it is still nearly two months away.

Many HCM City vendors are selling Tết ornamental flowers ahead of the holiday. — Photo nld.com.vn

On streets like Phạm Văn Đồng, Mai Chí Thọ, Thành Thái and Bắc Hải, they are selling ornamental flowers such as Thai apricot blossoms, Thai chrysanthemums, orchids, roses and hydrangeas and potted trees like kumquats, oranges and tangerines.

The flowers’ prices range from VNĐ100,000 to VNĐ400,000 per pot, while the fruit trees cost from several million to tens of millions of đồng.

Nguyễn Khả Vi, who lives in Minh Phụng Ward, said since her family is Catholic she took the opportunity to buy orchids early to decorate for Christmas.

Many people buying flowers on Phạm Văn Đồng Street said if they wait for the Tết holidays to buy they would only get to enjoy the flowers for a few days, and buying early would create an early Tết atmosphere and also offer more choices.

The recent floods have affected many flower farms across Việt Nam, increasing the prices of flowers due to lower supply as a result. 

Trần Thế Vinh, a chrysanthemum farmer in Khánh Hòa Province, told Thanh Niên newspaper that his garden was fortunate to escape the major floods that hit Nha Trang City.

After heavy rains he had quickly tended to the plants, and they were now recovering well, he said.

“Many growers have signed contracts with traders at prices 20–30 per cent higher than last year, with medium-sized chrysanthemums costing VNĐ600,000 per pot and large ones reaching VNĐ1 million.”

Many farm owners in Bình Lợi apricot blossom village and the former Thủ Đức District in HCM City say the weather this year has been erratic, with heavy rains and cold spells in the early mornings and late nights, though the impact is less severe compared to other regions of the country.

Farmers have enough knowledge and experience to ensure trees bloom in time for the Tết holidays.

In the Mekong Delta provinces of Vĩnh Long and Đồng Tháp, they are ramping up preparations for Tết.

According to the People's Committee of Chợ Lách Commune in Vĩnh Long, this year supply for Tết will be approximately 2.5 million ornamental flowers of various kinds, the same as last year.

This includes 1.2 million pots of chrysanthemum, 500,000 pots of marigold with the rest being yellow apricot blossoms and bougainvillaea.

The area is protected by dykes and so gardens were not affected by recent high tides.

But with this year's rains being prolonged and often unseasonable, many plants bloomed one or two weeks early, resulting in inconsistent flower quality and potentially affecting their prices.

Sa Đéc City is famous for Korean chrysanthemum varieties that come in many colours such as purple and red.

Farmers there also grow various flowers like tiger daisies, gerberas, sunflowers, cockscombs, firecracker flowers, and marigolds.

Besides growing flowers for the Tết season, they are also focusing on early production to serve the second Sa Đéc Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival (from December 27 to January 4). 

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