Honestly, I have no intention of looking for the meaning of the rosebud in the above folk song, because “the rosebud blooms green” has more or less become a surreal symbol of a love that is green and lazy, beautiful but sad, with nothing left to look forward to. I want to look for another rosebud, real, persistently existing in the midst of impermanence, humble but still worth waiting for.

Rose hips are a member of the rose family ( scientific name: rosa canina), also known as wild roses or ten sisters. Rose hips originate from Europe, Northwest Africa and Western Asia and then spread throughout the world.

According to Vietnamese folklore, "tam xuan" contains many meanings. In addition to being a metaphor for "nghe xuan hoa" (spring-announcing flower) as some flowers such as orchids, apricots, peaches... often represent, "tam" in "tam xuan" is also associated with the name of something very familiar, wild and rustic such as nettles, mistletoe... Is that why "tam xuan" is also called "da tuong vi"?

Ivy has an extremely strong vitality, it is the plant with the tallest stem (can reach up to 10 m) in the world of climbing roses. It is the strongest, most "stubborn" type compared to the foreign roses which are proud but capricious, splendid but fragile, just exposed to a little sun, rain, dew, wind and it "falls ill".

That vitality makes ivy a very popular choice for grafting, whether it is a grafted rose (“tree” rose) or a climbing rose. However, the instinctive vitality of ivy is eliminated right on its body – in the “grafted tree” state, every time a new bud or shoot just starts to emerge.

I don't think it's a paradox of survival, because the ivy has lived its life to the fullest, has devoted all its abundant vitality from the trunk and roots to nourish the grafted buds and flowers.

The story of hybrid or “original”, original or “borrowed” in this elaborate rose-playing profession, turns out to be obscured by the real value of beauty; including the visible and smellable beauty of the scent of flowers and leaves or the beauty hidden in the strong vitality of ivy stems and roots. As long as we do not forget or deliberately deny its unique value and position.

Not long ago, I happened to admire a rose trellis in March, with buds and flowers blooming in a remote village in Kon Tum province. The beauty of roses is certainly beyond dispute. But the captivating appeal of that trellis lies in its vitality. Honestly, I have never seen such a strong climbing rose, including the Son La rose, Hai Phong rose or Snow Goose rose…

Its branches and leaves are lush green, sturdy, densely packed with buds and flower clusters. That is certainly not the color of flowers and leaves that are “pampered” and easily become fragile and weak. On the contrary, it is full of vitality, strong, reaching out beyond the limits of space with countless clusters of white, pink and light purple flowers forming flower walls, splendid and fragrant as if we were standing under the famous “paradise” of infrared roses in Europe. Only when asked did I know that it was a trellis of ivy.

It turns out that the ivy has flowers. Not only that, the flowers are beautiful and fragrant. At that moment, I was really surprised! That flower only blooms once a year in the spring, like “spring never comes again”, like a limited, steadfast and harshly rare beauty.

I began to admire those who grow ivy to enjoy flowers. That is probably the most free and carefree game. Because one must be very leisurely and patient to appreciate the beauty of the moment, the beauty that does not repeat... in the weary waiting. Without that carefree and patient attitude, the true value of a plant, humble and small, would not be known to the world.

Suddenly, I thought of two verses of the Tang Dynasty scholar Ouyang Xun, and found it interesting how the meaningful meeting of the word "tâm" in "tâm xuân" and "tâm" in the mindset of searching and waiting for spring: "Tâm xuân tu thị tiên xuân tao/Khán hoa Mạc đi hoa chi lão" (To find spring, one must go before spring/To admire flowers, do not wait until they wither and fall).

Despite the long months of sunshine and rainy days, despite the dullness of the bare branches and leaves, the ivy has silently accumulated sap, quietly stretched itself to weave clusters, form clusters, intertwine flowers, and bloom in the colors of spring. It deserves a happy ending for the flower grower, a gentle and complete reward. As if believing and waiting, being steadfast and determined, the ivy will eventually bloom.

Has the rosebud, since then, taken on a new coat, no longer the mysterious green light, containing regret, but a metaphor for real hopes, like a simple and humble "waiting flower color", through many changes, the wind and rain still calmly signaling the coming of spring?

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/cho-doi-tam-xuan-post315680.html