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The Ultimate Guide to Flower Viewing: A Mother’s Tale of Indulgence with 800 Stunning White Lotus Blooms.

25 October, 2024

Ms. Tran Van Nga has a deep love for lotuses and enjoys filling her home with vases of these beautiful flowers every year.

“I love both white and pink lotuses, but the white ones at Bach Lien Dam were more abundant and had larger blooms,” Ms. Van Nga shared, explaining her choice of the former. “I also thought that the white flowers would complement the minimalist architecture of my house, making it brighter on rainy days. So I decided to turn my home and garden into a miniature Bach Lien lotus pond.”

“I realized that buying such a large quantity of lotuses would require finding a wholesale seller to get a good price, and since I had to buy in bulk, I invited my neighbors to join me,” she continued. “This was the first time I had attempted to purchase so many flowers, so my estimation wasn’t very accurate. When the lotus pond delivery truck arrived with a full load, I was a bit shocked. But the price was reasonable—a little over 3 million VND for 800 Bach Lien lotuses, including old and young leaves and lotus pods.”

The house was filled with the fragrance and beauty of lotuses, creating a bright and enchanting atmosphere.

Bringing her vision of a lotus pond to life, Ms. Nga took a moment to gather her thoughts before diving into the task at hand. With 800 lotuses to arrange, she faced a challenge in preparing the necessary vases.

“With so many flowers, I needed about 10 large vases,” she explained. “However, finding a place to put them all afterward was another dilemma. Then I remembered the plant pots and flower pot stands we already had at home. I used two layers of plastic bags to line the pots and stands to hold water, intending to cover them with lotus leaves.”

The lotus pond delivery arrived at 9 p.m., and Ms. Nga worked tirelessly until 1 a.m., managing to arrange 500 lotuses. Exhausted, she decided to call it a night and continue the next morning.

However, when she woke up, she encountered a problem. Some of the plastic bags had holes, causing water to leak out. She had to remove the flowers and rearrange them, finally finishing at noon and capturing the first photos of her lotus-filled home.

The lotuses were still shyly closed when first placed in the vases, their petals yet to unfurl.

For the larger arrangements, Ms. Nga intertwined the lotus stems. However, this technique can be tricky, as the first few lotuses tend to tilt. To make the process easier, she placed a lotus leaf over the mouth of the vase to position the stems as desired and then cut the ends of the stems at an angle to create a sharp point for insertion through the leaf. This not only added a charming touch to the arrangement but also served to catch the falling petals, making cleanup easier.

“With 800 lotuses, I created 12 arrangements, which took about six hours,” she shared. “It was tiring, but seeing the final result made it all worth it. Now I can relax and admire the beauty of the fully bloomed lotuses.”

Ms. Nga’s creative arrangements included both indoor and outdoor displays.

Lotus lovers know that these delicate flowers can be challenging to keep fresh and blooming. However, thanks to the same-day cutting and delivery, as well as Ms. Nga’s meticulous care, her miniature lotus pond remained vibrant for four days—the maximum lifespan of the Bach Lien variety.

Sharing her secrets to keeping the lotuses fresh, Ms. Nga said, “I learned from Facebook groups and my own experience over the years. Lotus stems have many tubes that absorb water and transport it to the flowers. If the stems are dry or contain too much air, the flowers won’t get the water they need.”

“So, when I received the lotuses, I soaked the stems in water for about 30 minutes to refresh them. Then, I inverted the stems and used a showerhead to spray water onto them, allowing the water to flow down to the flower necks and push out any air. This ensured that the flowers would fully bloom,” she explained.

Additionally, Ms. Nga advised against placing the lotus arrangements near fans or air conditioners, as this could prevent the flowers from blooming. In such conditions, the outer petals tend to dry out and constrict.

To prolong the freshness of the fully bloomed lotuses, she suggested adding a few ice cubes to the water, as this would lower the temperature and slow down the flowers’ deterioration.

Despite the effort and the short-lived nature of the display, Ms. Nga and her family thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience of having a lotus pond in their home. Her husband was particularly awestruck by the beauty she had created and admired her dedication and energy.

In addition to the white Bach Lien lotuses, Ms. Nga occasionally arranges pink lotuses as well.

“My friends and family on Facebook complimented the beauty of my lotus arrangements and expressed their desire to see them in person. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain, only my neighbors were able to come over and take photos. Everyone loved it, but I usually arrange lotuses about 10 times a year, with one vase each time. This year, I did it all at once, so my budget for the lotus season is spent. We’ll have to wait for next year,” Ms. Nga shared.