It is an interesting experience for visitors to see the first Huong Son apricots in the season when the trees start fructifying at the end of January.
The 28-year-old apricot garden of Le Manh Dong’s family in Phu Yen village (Huong Son commune, My Duc district) is the only one left in Huong Son mountain.
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Le Manh Dong (third from the right) is introducing his purebred apricot tree. |
There is a purebred apricot tree numbered 51 by agronomists, blooming flowers only in drizzling and cold weather. Other apricots are hybrids or brought from elsewhere.
Apricots grown in Huong Son have their special taste due to the area’s unique geological features. Water flows along the slopes of the mountains into holes under the trees, so his family does not have to spend much time taking care of them but watering the plants during the flowering and fruiting stage.
Around September every year, Dong nips off the leaves and keeps the buds. Due to the limited number of apricots, his family receives orders early. Rather than selling when the apricots are young, he waits until the apricots turn ripe to pick.
“Actually, agronomists instruct me to prune the branches to make apricot trees more fruitful, but I let them develop naturally,” said Dong.
A great number of tourists are attracted to Dong’s garden. Beside apricot trees, it has several thousand famous jungle katuk trees of Huong Pagoda along with jackfruit, pineapple, chickens and pigs. He welcomes all the tourists who come to buy apricots, visit, or enjoy the food. During free time, he hospitably takes them out to the garden, introduces each type of plant, picks apricots or young katuk for guests.
Pham Thi Hieu from Wonder World Travel and Trade Joint Stock Company is impressed with this apricot garden. “Vietnamese people like to take pictures of flowers. They are willing to go to places as far away as Bac Ha (Lao Cai), Moc Chau (Son La) and may spend 2-4 days photographing the flowers. Why don’t we promote the famous Huong Pagoda apricots? My Duc district in particular and Hanoi in general can encourage people to grow more apricot trees as they are both productive and beautiful,” she said.
Translated by Tra My - Thu Nga - Nhu Y - Thu Ngan