VietNamNet Bridge – Many farmers in Hanoi have turned away from growing some types of traditional trees to create ornamental and ecological gardens.

Visitors at "Quang Ba pine tree hill".

Recently, many of these growers have become popular in Tay Ho District. A number of local households have replaced their peach and kumquat orchards to with what they call “royal gardens” to attract visitors.  

These gardens can be found amid the more traditional orchards in the area.

The garden, named “Quang Ba pine tree hill,” lures a large number of visitors, mostly those in search for a nice place to take photos. The 3,000-square metre garden includes ponds, swimming pools, flower gardens, old trees, artificial mountains and a miniature pine forests.

Pham Sy Thanh, a resident of Quang Ba Village who has 20-year experience in growing peach trees, said it requires a lot of time and care to cultivate kumquat and peach tree trees and the outcome depends so much on the weather that many farmers see more profit in these ornamental gardens.

He added that the money he earns from selling tickets to visitors for his "pine tree hill" is much higher than that from growing peach and kumquat trees. The average ticket is VND20 million (USD952.3).

Thanh said his family has invested more than VND1 billion (USD47,619) in making "pine tree hill". According to him, the ornamental gardens in Nhat Tan and Quang Ba are very attractive to visitors, particularly in summer, autumn and Tet.

Workers pruning flowers at an ornamental garden.

West Lake's “flower valley” normally sees a large number of visitors. The site, covering 5.5 ha, is home to various kinds of flowers. In the middle of the valley is a windmill among a collection of small houses, designed like those found in the Netherlands.

Not only farmers in Nhat Tan and Quang Ba villages, but also a number of households in Long Bien and Vinh Tuy, have got loans to create ornamental gardens.

On the other hand, some are worried about the potential harm this could cause to the peach growing sector in  Nhat Tan. The city of Hanoi initiated a project to preserve and develop the brand of Nhat Tan peaches since early 2013. A number of stakeholders worry that, if too many growers move towards ornamental gardens, abandoning their orchards, it could adversely affect the the reputation of peach flowers grown in Nhat Tan.

Source: DTriNews