Đậu Thanh Tùng makes a snake sculpture crafted from dried coconut shells at his garden in Bình Chánh District, HCM City. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY - The 12 zodiac bonsai pots of Đậu Thanh Tùng, a garden owner in HCM City's Bình Chánh District, has been attracting customers' admiration and delight for many years.

Passionate about combining coconut and bonsai, 45-year-old Tùng has put efforts into creating collections representing zodiac animals for the past five years.

This year, he has been crafting sculptures of snakes holding a pearl, which he hopes can symbolise prosperity.

To have eye-catching bonsai products 30 - 40 cm high, Tùng needs to take care of the plants for eight months to a year.

On average, Tùng crafts five to seven snake-shaped bonsai pots daily.

He believes “handicrafts require a high level of artistry, meticulous attention to detail, and dedication."

"If a product isn’t perfect, I’ll patiently rework it to make it as visually appealing as possible," Tùng said.

Tùng's coconut bonsai is in a small yard of less than 50 m2 but this is where Tùng can freely create many unique products such as calligraphy coconut bonsai, 12 zodiac coconut bonsai, hydroponic coconut bonsai and coconut miniatures.

Talking about the opportunity to create coconut bonsai, Tùng said that five years ago, while surfing the internet, he accidentally watched a video about making coconut bonsai from Indonesia and Malaysia and found it interesting so he tried it out.

He chose small, round dry coconuts, separated all the fibres, and placed them in a place with a lot of humidity to incubate.

When the tree had grown leaves, he began the process of treating the roots, polishing the shell and observing the growth rate of the tree to adjust its shape and periodically cut the bib.

Cutting the bib is not difficult but requires dexterity so as not to affect the leaf sheath; if he cuts too early or too late, the coconut tree will lose its beautiful shape.

After testing many different coconut varieties, Tùng found that the coconut varieties with the most beautiful shapes and colours are the Green Siamese Coconut, Siamese Coconut with pink flesh and Tam Quan coconut.

These coconut varieties will produce leaves with beautiful pink or yellow colours, creating an attractive bonsai tree.

Tùng sells his bonsai wholesale at his garden Dừa Bonsai Thanh Tùng at 833 Trương Văn Đa, Hamlet 2, Bình Lợi Commune, Bình Chánh District, and through live streams on online platforms.

They retail for VNĐ250,000 to VNĐ2.5 million (US$9.85 to $98.49) depending on the size and design.

He plans to showcase his creations at two venues near the Tết holiday, including the flower market at Bình Lợi Apricot Blossom Village and the OCOP Product Club in Bình Chánh District. - VNS