Gardeners in Thoi An Ward, Ho Chi Minh City are busy taking care of flower pots for the 2026 Lunar New Year. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Dozens of farmers have been working under the blazing sun each day, rushing through tasks such as fertilizing, potting, watering, and pruning to ensure their flowers bloom at their best for the year’s most important market.
Along plots of lush green gardens near the Vam Thuat River, rows of flower pots are neatly arranged.
At 75, Trinh Van Duc and his son are caring for around 3,000 potted plants on the land he temporarily borrowed for Tet flower cultivation.
Trinh Van Duc takes care of his pots of tomatoes in Thoi An Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre
In addition to traditional Tet flowers, he has also planted tomatoes to serve consumers during the holiday.
Each plant has its own growth and flowering cycle, requiring careful calculation so that they reach peak condition just in time for the holiday.
Most of his plants will be sold to traders in the days leading up to Tet, while the rest will be sold directly by the family.
“I hope we can get good prices this Tet,” Duc said. "There’s only one crop a year, and it’s hard work. We have to keep a close eye on the weather to take care of the plants properly."
“We rely on our own labor for profit. We just hope everything sells and prices are good when Tet comes,” his son added.
Elsewhere in the village, Vu Thi Thanh Nga, owner of a garden spanning more than 5,000 square meters, and some farmers are racing against time to complete some tasks such as filling pots with soil, planting seedlings, and caring for thousands of plants for the upcoming holiday.
For the 2026 Tet, Nga said her garden has prepared about 20,000 pots featuring a wide range of flowers, including golden chrysanthemums, crystal chrysanthemums, ruby chrysanthemums, summer snapdragon, impatiens, coleus, periwinkle, and lisianthus.
The garden expects to begin supplying traders from around the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, or February 7.
The riverside land in Thoi An Ward is filled with flower gardens being prepared for the upcoming Lunar New Year. Photo: Tuoi Tre
As the peak of the Tet flower season approaches, many garden owners in the flower village have hired additional workers to keep up with the demanding schedule.
Nimbly pinching off small buds to leave only the main bloom on chrysanthemum plants, Thanh Van said she has been employed at a garden for more than a month.
She works around eight hours a day to earn extra income for Tet expenses.
“I’m used to this work,” she said.
“We chat and joke while working, so it doesn’t feel too tiring.
“I hope the garden owner sells at good prices."
Many garden workers use umbrellas for shade and wear hats and face coverings to protect themselves while working under the scorching sun. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Thanh Van has been working as a hired laborer at a garden in Thoi An Flower Village, Ho Chi Minh City for about a month to earn money for Tet expenses. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Flower caretakers are busy with tasks at the garden such as setting up netting and fertilizing the potted plants. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Minh Tam is taking care of potted plants. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Bo Hoa, a resident of Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam, has worked as a hired laborer for garden owners for more than 10 years. “Every Tet, I come to Ho Chi Minh City for work. My daily tasks include planting, watering, fertilizing, and spraying pesticides so the flowers look their best for Tet,” he shared. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Gardeners prepare flower pots in time for sale during the 2026 Lunar New Year. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre
Vu Thi Thanh Nga prepares about 20,000 pots of flowers to sell to traders for the 2026 Lunar New Year. Photo: Tuoi Tre
A farmer is taking care of pots of flowers. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre
In addition to planting flowers, Trinh Van Duc has also grown pots of tomatoes to sell for the Lunar New Year. Photo: Tuoi Tre
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