On the afternoon of 16/1, Trung visited three nurseries. Before him, rows of vibrant yellow chrysanthemums were in full bloom. The nursery owners explained that prolonged heat interspersed with unseasonal rain since late last year caused rapid plant growth and early flower bud differentiation. Once the chrysanthemums entered the budding stage, it was almost impossible to halt their development.

"To see growers who had patiently pruned each branch and meticulously monitored sun and wind for an entire year now facing total loss, I felt deeply saddened," Trung said.

That same afternoon, he transported 65 pots of chrysanthemums (60% bloomed) to Tra Vinh to sell for 170,000 VND a pair. Residents bought all the flowers within a few hours. Over the next 10 days, Trung mobilized friends and trucks, helping to sell approximately 1,500 pots for the three nurseries. "They no longer made a profit, but at least they recovered their capital so they could still celebrate Tet," he shared.

Residents purchasing chrysanthemums in Ban Co ward, TP HCM, on the afternoon of 26/1. *Photo: Lan Chi*

In TP HCM, Lan Chi, 39, also transformed her fruit store in Ban Co ward into a makeshift flower collection point.

Two weeks prior, during a visit to her husband's hometown in Vinh Long, she saw many people selling chrysanthemums along the national highway. A nursery owner stated that approximately 5,000 pots had bloomed, and traders who had placed deposits canceled their contracts due to the early blooming. The risk of losing all their capital caused families many sleepless nights.

Lan Chi decided to gather the flowers and sell them in the city on their behalf, for 100,000 VND per pot, with a spread of nearly one meter, half the price of last year. Unexpectedly strong demand meant the first 50 flower baskets sold out within the morning. Thanks to social media, Lan Chi has helped sell over 3,000 pots of chrysanthemums in the past two weeks. "Many nurseries still have thousands of unsold pots, hoping to recoup some capital. Anyone who buys them is essentially helping them before Tet," she said.

According to the Vinh Long Department of Agriculture and Environment, this year's Tet flower season for the entire region includes approximately 10–12 million flower and ornamental plant products, primarily concentrated in Cho Lach, Hung Khanh Trung, and Vinh Thanh communes. However, prolonged heat interspersed with unseasonal rain caused approximately 30% of the chrysanthemum area to bloom early, making them difficult to sell on time for the occasion.

Given this situation, over the past four days, the Department of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the Cho Lach commune authorities, invited content creators and farmers to organize live streams selling flowers directly from the fields. Concurrently, many individuals and organizations proactively contacted nurseries, posting calls for support on social media, attracting thousands of shares.

This year, not only are farmers waiting for traders, but a wave of flower "rescue" has also spread rapidly on social media. Hashtags like #giaicuuhoamientay (rescue western flowers) and #hoacholachnosom (cho lach flowers bloomed early), accompanied by actual videos from the gardens, have attracted millions of views.

Trung Hieu, 22, from Cho Lach, along with his mother, invested 350 million VND for the Tet flower season, but 10,000 pots of chrysanthemums bloomed nearly 20 days early. Hieu's mother suffered many sleepless nights, crying in helplessness as all technical remedies proved ineffective.

Hieu live-streamed selling flowers for approximately 60,000 VND, offering to help buyers arrange transportation, but received no orders. On the afternoon of 17/1, Hieu asked a YouTuber to film and post a clip introducing his flower garden. Within just a few hours, the video spread widely on social media. That night, Hieu's phone rang continuously with thousands of calls and hundreds of messages inquiring about purchases.

"There were strangers from TP HCM who traveled all the way to the garden just to buy a few pairs of flowers as gifts for relatives, hoping to help my family recoup some losses," Hieu recounted. Although still facing a loss of nearly 200 million VND compared to his initial investment, Hieu felt comforted by the community's collective effort.

These days, along the streets in Thu Duc City and central districts of TP HCM, vibrant yellow chrysanthemums are being sold earlier than in previous years. Instead of waiting until the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month (Ong Cong, Ong Tao day), many residents and cafe owners have chosen to buy flowers early for decoration, both to beautify their spaces and to alleviate some of the burden on Mekong Delta farmers.

Ngoc Ngan