Chinese New Year plants which do not get sold become grub for the butterflies at Sentosa's Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom
Tay Suan Chiang, Straits Times 10 Feb 08;
IT IS not just people who are enjoying the Chinese New Year feasting, butterflies also get to indulge during this festive season.
But while humans tuck into pineapple tarts, yusheng and bak kwa, the fluttering ones feed on the fruit and nectar of traditional Chinese New Year plants such as kumquats and four season limes.
According to two nurseries that LifeStyle spoke to, small quantities, about 20 pots of these potted plants from each nursery, left over from the Chinese New Year buying frenzy, are sold to the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom on Sentosa for use as butterfly feed.
A spokesman for the park, which has about 1,500 butterflies, says caterpillars feed on the leaves while the butterflies feed on the fruits and the nectar.
When contacted on Friday, nurseries say that more than 95 per cent of their stock of traditional Chinese New Year plants have already been sold, thanks to shoppers who believe that buying plants will ensure them a year of wealth and prosperity.
These include traditional favourites such as kumquats and limes, chrysanthemums, pussy willows and lucky bamboo.
'We have only very few pots of plants left. The good quality ones have already been bought over the last two weeks,' says Mr Lee Meng Kwan, 41, sales manager at World Farm nursery in Sembawang.
Over at Far East Flora nursery in Thomson Road, hot items such as chrysanthemums and pussy willows were sold out by last Tuesday, says Mr Peter Cheok, 28, its sales and marketing director.
Still, the company, like other nurseries around the island, went all out to sell the remaining stock of Chinese New Year plants, with many holding sales, particularly on the eve of the new year.
Depending on the nursery, late shoppers could get plants at a whopping 50 per cent less last Wednesday, but nurseries point out that these plants tend to be of a poorer quality, some even sporting dried leaves and flowers.
The deal gets even better today, as some nurseries sell off remaining stocks at bigger discounts, sometimes up to 70 per cent off.
For example, Far East Flora was selling its lime plants in small pots from $18 per pot before Chinese New Year. This fell to $9 a pot on the eve, and since Thursday, each was selling at $5.40.
At Ang Mo Kio Floral & Landscape nursery, items were on offer at 20 per cent less since Tuesday, with kumquats going from $15 for a small pot.
Its managing director, Mr Chen Yeow Chong, 52, says when the nursery reopens on Tuesday for business, there will still be discounts given. 'There's no fixed discount, but rather the price is open to negotiation,' he says.
Mr Ben Tan, 43, a director at Prince's Flowers, says there is usually very little leftover stock after Chinese New Year.
'We order based on the amount sold the previous year, so most items usually get sold out,' he says.
However, he does admit that these plants are still available throughout the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, as there will be some home owners or companies that still need to buy them for decorating.
The good news is that nurseries keep wastage to a minimum. Some nurseries such as Ang Mo Kio Floral throw old stock away - its managing director, Mr Chen, says this is because it is not fair to sell poor quality plants.
Others try and keep the plants going for longer. Lifestyle store Ikea is keeping Chinese New Year plants such as chrysanthemums on its shelves. According to a spokesman, customers continue to buy them even after the celebrations.
It helps that some of these plants have a longer shelf life.
For example, the zamioculca (also known as the gold tree in Mandarin) is available throughout the year. And those not picked up by Chinese New Year shoppers will be repotted and offered for sale. This also applies to the lucky bamboo, especially those created as table top accessories, as well as limes which can be pruned and repotted to be sold.
One person who is looking to capitalise on the leftover stock is housewife Jin Lim, 35. Even though she bought plants before the Chinese New Year festivities, she is looking forward to visiting the nurseries from tomorrow.
'I want to buy a zamioculca which will last me throughout the year. With lower prices now, I'm getting a good bargain,' she says.
