Passion has led 55-year-old man Nguyen Van Tinh, residing in Hoa Tho Dong Ward, Cam Le District, to create artistic works from grafted orchids on driftwood.

Mr Nguyen Van Tinh with his grafted orchid artworks on driftwood.

Mr Tinh's orchid grafting on driftwood facility at 154-156 Le Dai Hanh Street covers an area of 200m². People when coming seem to step into a garden with unique driftwood pieces of all shapes. Alongside are hundreds of artistic pieces meticulously crafted by Mr Tinh from grafted orchids on driftwood, embellishing living spaces for families to become more beautiful and closer to nature, especially as spring approaches.

Mr Tinh said that he was captivated by the roots and branches of driftwood formed by nature when he went to buy ornamental birds in the Quang Nam mountainous forest area, which fascinated him and sparked the idea.

These natural formations, resembling green mountain ranges reaching into the sky or majestic peaks, some resembling waterfalls cascading down, have become a source of inspiration for him and the main theme of his unique artistic pieces.

As a nature lover, Mr Tinh prioritizes the natural and wild aspects of orchids on driftwood over those grown in pots.

As shared by Mr Tinh, driftwood is hard, not prone to termites, and does not warp under the influence of weather. Different types of driftwood such as those buried deep in the soil, submerged in mud, or eroded by flowing water bring unique characteristics to each artwork. To create a beautiful piece, driftwood must have parts like roots, branches, and trunks of native specialized  trees to meet aesthetic requirements for grafting orchids.

Before grafting, Mr Tinh thoroughly cleans the driftwood, soaks it in lime water for several days, then soaks it in a mixture of NPK potassium to ensure the wood is sufficiently moist; then he selects orchid species suitable for each type of driftwood to create the most beautiful artworks.

His facility currently provides custom-made artwork for customers. However, not every type of driftwood thrives well when grafted with orchids. Driftwood from pine trees, eucalyptus trees, or trees containing essential oils often does not develop well or have roots that adhere tightly. This also depends on the type of orchid grafted; each type of driftwood will be combined with a suitable orchid variety.

For the time being, Mr Tinh's facility has about 400 orchid species (of which he grows about 30% himself, the rest are imported from Da Lat) with over 1,000 grafted driftwood artworks, prices ranging from three hundred thousand to five million dong per piece.

The facility employs 4 artisans, and the average income per person is VND 500,000/day after deducting expenses.

Reporting by HA NHIEN- Translating by T.VY