Getting ready: Loi brings the Tet vibe to the Central Highlands.(Photo tienphong.com.vn) Lam Dong (VNA) - Nhat Tan peach blossoms, once the pride of Hanoi’sWest Lake, are now blooming vigorously in Lam Ha district in the CentralHighlands province of Lam Dong where hundreds of people moved from thecapital.
This gives the high-priced blossoms a doublecompetitive advantage. Not only are they considered the best, but the cool hillweather keeps the buds from opening too soon.
Among the lovely farms in Lam Ha district is theflower garden of Chu Van Loi in Nam Ban Town. Covering an area of 3,500sq.m.,500 peach-blossom trees are budding up for Tet (Vietnamese New Year)holiday.
An authentic Nhat Tan peach blossom has specialcharacteristics, including a round canopy with dense buds and densely scatteredblooms.
“They will keep blooming until about January 25on the lunar calendar (March 12),” Loi said.
Every day now, his garden welcomes visitorsadmiring and buying the flowers. Although most of the trees have been orderedby a trader in Da Lat city, Loi still receives many offers.
“I sell a tree at a fixed price of 200,000 VND(8.8 USD ) no matter how big it is. For those big and beautiful trees,retailers can earn 600,000 to 700,000 VND (26 USD to 31 USD) each,” he added.
Loi leases his most magnificent trees for up to15 million VND (660 USD). For example, an ancient indigenous peach blossom treefrom Lam Dong province has been grafted with Nhat Tan buds andpainstakingly shaped. It is hired each year by a local bank.
Taking care of peach blossom trees after theyhave been sold is another part of Loi’s craft. Beautiful trees are oftenreturned to his garden for a professional care after New Year.
Nguyen Van Hai, who moved from a village by theRed River in 1980, told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that becauseof homesickness, he made paper flowers and dyed them pink.
“The cultivation of Nhat Tan peach blossoms inthe hills takes me to Nam Ban Town in Lam Ha district every year.Having a tree in my house makes me feel close to home,” he said.
Pham Van Muoi, 70, said that he had moved to DaLat city for more than four decades. Only in Loi’s garden could he see avariety of authentic Nhat Tan indigenous peach blossom trees. Driving 20kmthrough the dangerous Ta Nung pass, Muoi recently went to buy a peach blossombranch to decorate his house.
Loi agreed to sell Muoi the branch he chose. Theold man then said happily: “I was born in Nhat Tan Village. Peach blossomsare an inseparable part of Tet in my heart. I will put this branch in themost outstanding place in our house.”
The meaning of peach blossoms came out in Loiwhen he visited his older brother who moved to Lam Dong province several yearsago. As a tree owned by his brother had no flowers, he stayed to take care ofand help it bloom. That spring, the peach blossom tree became such a gorgeousreminder of Hanoi that it surprised Nam Ban residents.
In 2000, Loi’s family moved to Lam Dongprovince, taking along 50 Nhat Tan trees. Highland soil and climate affect thecolour and quality of blossoms. It took him two years to get the blooming timeright at the Tet holiday - and with a perfect pinkish shade of petals.
The key of his expertise lies on the use of fishmanure. Also, like all bonsai experts, he bends branches to make a tree lookgood from every angle.
“My peach blossom trees have to be perfect tomeet the strict demands of flower markets in HCM City or Da Lat city,” hesaid.- VNA
VNA
