In recent years, the flower and ornamental plants market in Can Tho city has increased considerably and one of the most well-known gardens is Hồng Phương Rose Garden. 5 years ago, Ms. Phan Hồng Phương started planting roses because she fell in love with this flower's beauty. After a while, she turned her passion into a business. At first, she opened a small shop near Rạch Ngỗng bridge. With a small amount of money, Ms. Hồng Phương started a small business with a few hundred flower pots, mainly Vietnamese native rose species. Later on, she gradually expanded her garden, make friends with other rose garden owners inside and outside the city to learn and accumulate experience in growing more varieties of roses. She also learned more about planting and caring for roses on books, newspapers, and the Internet. When Ms. Phương mastered the techniques of growing and caring for popular varieties of roses in the market, the number of customers buying rose pots in her garden is increasing. After 5 years, Hồng Phương Rose Garden has had 5,000 rose plants of all kinds from many different regions, the most popular being Bush Rose, Climbing Rose, and Sapa Tree Rose. In particular, Hồng Phương Rose Garden has precious and very old rose-trees as well as large rose trees that can only be moved by a crane.

On the opening day of Hồng Phương Rose Garden at the new location on Nguyễn Văn Linh Street in late June, just entering the 1,000-square-meter garden, visitors were impressed at a romantic and colorful space with a sweet and pleasant scent. Ms. Phan Hồng Phương said that color and scent are the most important elements of a rose. In terms of color, there are diverse types such as velvet, pink, white, orange, peach, yellow, pale peach, coral, lavender, red rosebud, light pink, and so on. Foreign varieties are extremely diverse with the most popular being Constance, Padeut, Masora, Royale, and the most famous being the French rose such as Abraham, Mon Coeur, Red Fairy, etc. Moreover, the Vietnamese native rose varieties with elegant beauty and sweet scent also attract many rose lovers. The average price of a rose pot in the garden ranges from 100,000 VND to several million VND. There are also some remarkable rose pots worth over 100 million VND. In addition to Bush Rose, Climbing Rose, and Sapa Tree Rose, Ms. Phan Hong Phuong also has techniques of planting, trimming, and making rose bonsai, which is beautifully shaped, balanced and including many kinds of roses.

Ms. Phương said that plant-growers are required to have knowledge and experience when growing roses in large-scale. For those who want to create a small rose garden in front of her house to relax, she is willing to share her tips. For example, roses require sunlight, especially morning sunlight. Moreover, chemical fertilizers are not recommended for roses but organic ones like compost, vermicompost. Furthermore, pests must be eliminated with a mixture of garlic, chili, and alcohol, etc. These methods for growing and taking care of roses are both cheap and safe for both the plant-growers and the flower lovers.

To take care of 5,000 rose plants in two different locations, Ms. Hồng Phương hired 4 workers. She said: “People who grow and trade rose plants, in addition to profits, can also relax and nurture their souls while enjoying the beauty of flowers. Since I opened the rose garden, more and more people have come to share their experiences of planting and caring for beautiful and rare flowers. This contributes to relieve the pressure in a life full of burdens and stress. That is why I always warmingly welcome those who come to take videos and pictures in my garden”.

Hồng Phương Rose Garden is truly an interesting place with many distinctive features, adding to the list of interesting destinations for visitors from near and far to Can Tho.