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| Ms. Truong Thi Hong Nhi (Phu Xuan Ward, Hue City) delicately trimming away each thin layer of bulb skin to ensure her daffodils blooms at the right moment |
Selecting bulbs, shaping the form
In the final days of the twelfth lunar month, Hue glows with the colors of flowers. As people prepare for Tet, the streets grow busier and flower markets become more vibrant with each passing day. Amid the festive atmosphere, some devote themselves to the delicate art of carving daffodil bulbs – a pastime that demands patience and precision.
In Hue, daffodils are relatively rare. Those who wish to grow them often have to purchase the bulbs early and order them from other regions. Once the bulbs arrive, the grower carefully examines the sprouts, rotates the bulbs to determine the most suitable angle, and only then begins trimming away the thin outer layers. As enthusiasts say, cultivating daffodils requires steady, unhurried hands. A single wrong cut can damage the buds, leaving the entire Tet flower bowl “unfinished.”
Ms. Truong Thi Hong Nhi (Phu Xuan Ward, Hue City) discovered this pastime through old photographs of Tet in Hà Nội. In her memory, delicately shaped bowls of daffodils were placed indoors as subtle highlights of spring. “I was drawn to the pure beauty of daffodils,” she shared. “At first I was just curious, but the more I learned and tried cultivating daffodils myself, the more I appreciated the sense of calm it brings. Gradually, trimming daffodil bulbs became my Tet ritual.”
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| A daffodil bulb and trimming knives – small but essential tools for this elaborate year-end pastime |
According to Ms. Nhi, trimming the bulbs is the most crucial stage. The grower must avoid cutting into the flower sheath. The bulbs must be neat, the sprouts well spaced, so that the leaves can curve gracefully later. “Achieving a harmonious shape takes time. Each bulb is different, so you have to be very careful,” she said.
The cost of preparing a bowl of daffodils for Tet is not high. Each bulb currently costs just over 100,000 VND. Including the bowl, tools, and care, the total expense amounts to only a few hundred thousand VND. What truly attracts enthusiasts, however, is the satisfaction of preparing a bowl of flowers that blooms at the very first moment of the new year.
Timing the bloom
Trimming the bulbs is only the first step. The longest part is waiting for the bloom. Daffodils require regular water changes, careful cleaning of the bulbs, and daily monitoring of the buds. Growers often joke that cultivating daffodils means watching the clock, because if the flower blooms too early or too late, it loses the special charm of the turn of the Lunar New Year.
In Hue, the pre-Tet weather is chilly, sometimes accompanied by light drizzle, making it more challenging to time the bloom. Some people move the bulbs to cooler spots to slow the flowering; others keep them warm to hasten it. All this effort is simply to ensure the petals unfurl at the turn of the Lunar New Year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha (Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue City), aged 67, took up growing daffodils a few years ago through friends. At first, she found the pastime unusual, since few people in Hue pursue it. But the more she practiced, the more she fell in love with it. “I enjoy tending to them each day,” she said. “The year’s end is always busy, but taking time to change the water and watch the white roots sprout makes me feel calm.”
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| A bowl of daffodils hand-trimmed by Ms. Hong Nhi in preparation for Tet in Hue |
Growing daffodils teaches patience. The flower cannot be rushed, nor can it be neglected. It needs a little attention every day to bloom on time. The most anticipated moment is still when the flower blooms exactly at the turn of the Lunar New Year. “For me, seeing the daffodils bloom at that moment brings a sense of peace and completeness,” said Ms. Nhi. “People in the past believed that a flower blooming at that moment was a good omen for the new year.”
In recent years, this pastime in Hue has also begun to attract younger enthusiasts. Mr. Le Minh Quan (An Cuu Ward), aged 28, learned about daffodils through social media. After watching instructional videos on bulb trimming and shaping, he decided to try it himself. “It’s difficult, but fascinating,” said Mr. Quan. “Some bulbs bloom early, some late. When the flower blooms during the first days of the new year, it suddenly feels like all the effort was worth it.”
Tet in Hue is filled with the colors of many familiar blossoms, yet the delicate, pure-white daffodils possess their own charm. Enthusiasts often say that waiting for them to bloom at the turn of the Lunar New Year is like preserving a moment of ‘just enough beauty,’ where spring arrives in its own patient and elaborate way.