In the days leading up to Tet, along the streets where many flower markets are concentrated such as Lac Long Quan, Hoang Hoa Tham, Duong Dinh Nghe (Hanoi),... are bustling day and night. Shoppers are bustling, so the demand for hiring seasonal orchid arrangers is increasing.
Mr. Vu Duy Tu from Nam Dinh with 15 years of experience in arranging orchids is always busy. Currently, he is one of the two main artisans at the orchid stall on Hoang Hoa Tham street, Hanoi.
From caregivers, sowers to shapers for each flower branch, Mr. Tu understands the characteristics of the orchid flower better than anyone else.
True to the saying "Autumn is its season", Mr. Tu takes on the task of sowing and planting, taking care of, and shaping each flower branch.
The demand for buying orchids increases sharply during Tet, skilled flower arrangers like Mr. Tu can work up to 10-12 hours a day. Each bouquet of flowers he receives a flower arrangement price of 15,000-20,000 VND/bouquet. His main job is to receive orders, advise customers to buy, create shapes and pot large orchid pots.
Depending on each pot, each model requested by the customer or my own creativity, the planting time will depend quite a lot, some pots plant faster but some units plant slower. Planting baby orchids is mostly because it requires force from the hand, breaking foam to shape, rotating the axles of large pots" - Mr. Tu shared.
With 10 years in the profession, Mr. Nguyen Quang Tiep (from Hai Phong) believes that arranging orchids is a job that requires many techniques, from the skill to the level of creativity of the craftsman. "The most difficult is the stage of bending flowers and coloring them to make them beautiful. One purple color, one yellow color, but there are more than ten types, the craftsman must have eyes to see" - Mr. Tiep shared.
For professional flower arrangers, the number of flower pots arranged can be up to several hundred branches per day, helping them welcome a warm and prosperous Tet.
On Trung Kinh street, Ms. Than Thi Kim Ngan (from Bac Ninh) does not rest for a second because the number of applications to be completed is increasing day by day. Ms. Ngan said that during the peak period from December 15-25 of the lunar calendar, the period near Tet for office buildings, people will return to their hometowns, so the workload will be reduced.
Orchids are quite easy to arrange, but I need to pay attention to avoid breaking and breaking, each craftsman has a different skill, if customers are satisfied, I am happy" - Ms. Ngan said.
According to Ms. Ngan, depending on the number of customers, based on the craftsman's skills, 150-200 branches can be planted each day. "The price of planting each branch will depend on the craftsman's capacity and speed. If the order is urgent, the planting price will be higher" - Ms. Ngan said.
Not only is it a seasonal job, for many workers, arranging orchids is also a livelihood attached for many years.
According to shares from small traders, orchid flower arrangers are often hired on a daily basis or by product, depending on the scale of the booth. Skilled, fast and beautiful flower arrangers are always prioritized, even "scheduled" early. At peak times, many booths have to mobilize more people to support and deliver flowers to customers on schedule.
In the context of the increasingly competitive Tet flower market, the demands of buyers are increasing. Flower pots worth millions, even tens of millions of dong, require workers to take care of every small detail. This is both pressure and motivation for workers to improve their skills, always be creative to innovate themselves.
