Bustling with Tet flowers

After Christmas, traditional flowers such as tuberose, gladiolus, chrysanthemum, marigold, and cockscomb begin to sprout green across high fields, flower and vegetable plots, and in plastic and cement pots in areas specializing in Tet flower cultivation, including Phuc Nhac (Gia Kiem commune), Bung Can (Xuan Dinh commune), and Trung Son (Xuan Loc commune).

This occasion is also the time when farmers in flower-growing villages are busy preparing for the Tet flower season.

Farmers in Gia Kiem commune, Dong Nai province, tend to Tet flowers. Photo: D.Quynh

Gardeners meticulously care for the stems, branches, and flower buds to ensure they remain healthy and bloom evenly.

Phuc Nhac flower village still maintains planting area

After the three communes: Gia Tan 3, Quang Trung, Gia Kiem (formerly Thong Nhat district) merged into Gia Kiem commune (Dong Nai province), Phuc Nhac flower village (including Tet flower growing areas in Gia Yen, Tan Yen, Phuc Nhac 1, Phuc Nhac 2 hamlets) still maintained its original flower planting area.

Farmer Pham Van Tinh (residing in Tan Yen hamlet, Gia Kiem commune) shared: Entering the ninth lunar month, as batches of coriander, celery, pineapple, and fish mint are freshly harvested, farmers here begin clearing the land to plant flowers, with seedlings already pre-germinated in garden beds. Depending on each gardener’s experience in flower cultivation, available land, capital, and flower distribution channels, they choose different varieties of Tet flowers and ornamental plants. Still, every spring, the fields in Gia Kiem commune burst with the vibrant colors of cockscomb, chrysanthemum, marigold, and ornamental chili.

Phuc Nhac flower village has long been known for its diverse array of flowers, including chrysanthemums, marigolds, cockscombs, and pansies. At times, the flower cultivation area here has reached several dozen hectares, with the entire harvest sold out in the days leading up to Tet. This year, despite numerous unfavorable factors such as adverse weather conditions, labor shortages, and fluctuations in the ornamental flower market, farmers in Gia Kiem commune have continued to maintain their planting areas as they did in previous years.

Without waiting for full daylight, Tran Thi Tham (residing in Tan Yen hamlet) was already in her family's chrysanthemum and marigold field. Tham expressed: "Last year, I planted 2,000 pots (10-20cm in diameter) of Tet flowers. Although the flowers bloomed beautifully and evenly, only 2/3 of the total pots were sold, the rest had to be sold at a loss, so after deducting expenses, I only made a profit of nearly 20 million VND."

Tham hopes that this Binh Ngo 2026 Tet flower season will see a more positive consumption of Tet flowers.

Every spring, the Cho Ro ethnic community in the Trung Son hamlet resettlement area (Xuan Loc commune) places its hopes on the Tet flower season. The more vibrant the blooms, the better the prices and the higher the sales, the more prosperous the year will be for the Cho Ro people in the hamlet.

NGUYEN XUAN MANH, Head of Trung Son hamlet, Xuan Loc commune, Dong Nai province

Flowers sprout green in high fields

Like Phuc Nhac flower village, the flower-growing areas in Trung Son hamlet (Xuan Loc commune) and Bung Can hamlet (Xuan Dinh commune) also burst into vibrant shades of red, green, yellow, and purple every spring, with a variety of flowers such as gladiolus, tuberose, lily, marigold, chrysanthemum, gerbera, and cockscomb. As the fields begin to dry, the flower buds are starting to sprout green.

Gladiolus, a characteristic flower of Bung Can hamlet, Xuan Dinh commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: D.Quynh

Nguyen Xuan Manh, Head of Trung Son hamlet (Xuan Loc commune), expressed: Every spring, his Trung Son hamlet is vibrant with flowers. The colors of the flowers show the prosperity and development of the Kinh and Cho Ro farmers in the fields at the foot of Gia Lao (Chua Chan) mountain.

Every year, in preparation for the Tet flower season, Van Thuong's family (Cho Ro ethnic group, residing in Trung Son hamlet) clears the land to plant 1.5 rods of marigold, chrysanthemum, and gladiolus. Whatever land they have, they plant Tet flowers. Thanks to this, his family earns over 25 million VND every spring from selling Tet flowers.

Farmer Van Thuong confided: Before planting Tet flowers, most of the land here was left fallow by farmers or planted with a small amount of corn and beans in the winter-spring crop. From 2010 to the present, all Cho Ro people in the hamlet have taken advantage of the winter-spring crop season to plant flowers, earning money for Tet and enhancing the village's beauty. Farmers in the Trung Son hamlet only plant flowers directly in the fields, not in pots. The Cho Ro people are only familiar with traditional varieties that do not require high-tech care, such as marigolds, chrysanthemums, cockscombs, and gladioli. The primary consumption market is within the commune and province, so on average, each rod yields a profit of only 10-15 million VND.

Trung Son hamlet has 70 households of Cho Ro ethnic people, who primarily live and produce in Group 6. Thanks to flower cultivation, along with policies that support investment in capital, cultivation techniques, electricity, roads, housing, jobs, etc., especially the ethnic people in the settled farming and residential areas here have now adapted to the production and business mindset of the Kinh people, so their lives are gradually changing with each spring.

Along with Phuc Nhac and Trung Son flower villages, Bung Can flower village (Xuan Dinh commune) was once famous for its vibrant fields of marigolds, gladioli, lilies, chrysanthemums, and gerberas, which bloomed every Tet and spring. Now, the area for flower cultivation by the people in the hamlet has shrunk to only a few hectares, mainly gladioli and lilies.

Farmer Nguyen Van Chien (residing in Bung Can hamlet) shared: The soil in Bung Can hamlet is very fertile, so Bung Can flowers grow with thick stems and potent buds, making them highly sought after in the domestic market. In the past, Bung Can hamlet had dozens of hectares of flower fields, and farmers cultivated a wide variety of flowers for Tet sales. Now, with less land available for flower growing, they only reserve small plots in their gardens to grow gladioli and lilies for Tet and springtime festivities.

Phuc Nhac flower village (Gia Kiem commune) is well-known for its pansies and petunias, which are grown in hanging pots. However, these two varieties are more challenging to cultivate and do not yield high profits, so farmers in Phuc Nhac flower village now mostly grow chrysanthemums, marigolds, cockscombs, ornamental peppers, and similar types.

Farmer TRAN VAN THIN, Phuc Nhac 1 hamlet, Gia Kiem commune, Dong Nai province.

By Diem Quynh-Translated by Mai Nga, Minho