On my little trip to Hong Kong this Christmas one of the places I visited was the Hong Kong flower market, a very colorful and lively place. It is a small market covering only two blocks, but it has a lot to see and enjoy.
I felt it very contrasting to what I find here in Japan. Here you can sense an order even when it might not be as obvious, but in hong kong it was all chaotic. People walking here and there, men pushing trolleys and yelling to people to get out of the way, customers arguing to lower the price, sellers loudly advertising their products, a hundred scents from flowers and food. It remind me so much of Mexico, It was exactly like what you can see at the markets there, just with Chinese. Of course I felt right at home.
They had some exotic plants, and some very nice deals. In one place they were selling a bunch of beautiful orchids for 10 HKD each, that is like 1.2 US dollars or 0.8 British pounds. They also have some rare flowers that I am not sure what they are. Too bad It is not possible for me to bring plants back to my little garden in Japan.
One interesting thing I noted was, how all the selling were directed to "lucky plants". They have so many superstitions and they affect many of the aspects of their life, and as it was to be expected, the same goes for plants. For example, most of the plants and the cutting flowers they sell have a very specific meaning. They have get money plants, get health, to celebrate a new house, for the new year and many others.
If you are ever in Hong Kong and you like plants I recommend you to go. They have a huge variety of flowers and plants for sale or just for admiring. It's truly a fun walk.
Flower Market Road, Mong Kok. Opens from 7am to 7pm.
How to get there
On a different subject, the Carnival will be this January15th 17th! Sorry I changed the date, I didn't want to clash with a fellow blogger meme.
Be ready with a post about what do you plan on doing at your garden this next year, Maybe about one particular plant you want to have, a renovation you will do, a special patch you will grow, a new gardening technique you will give a try, or any other project you have prepared for this new year.
The Hong Kong Flower Market
I felt it very contrasting to what I find here in Japan. Here you can sense an order even when it might not be as obvious, but in hong kong it was all chaotic. People walking here and there, men pushing trolleys and yelling to people to get out of the way, customers arguing to lower the price, sellers loudly advertising their products, a hundred scents from flowers and food. It remind me so much of Mexico, It was exactly like what you can see at the markets there, just with Chinese. Of course I felt right at home.
Very similar to the flower and garden markets in Mexico
They have a very nice variety of plants and flowers
They had some exotic plants, and some very nice deals. In one place they were selling a bunch of beautiful orchids for 10 HKD each, that is like 1.2 US dollars or 0.8 British pounds. They also have some rare flowers that I am not sure what they are. Too bad It is not possible for me to bring plants back to my little garden in Japan.
A bunch of pitcher plants ready for sale
What is the name of these?
One interesting thing I noted was, how all the selling were directed to "lucky plants". They have so many superstitions and they affect many of the aspects of their life, and as it was to be expected, the same goes for plants. For example, most of the plants and the cutting flowers they sell have a very specific meaning. They have get money plants, get health, to celebrate a new house, for the new year and many others.
Beautiful cutting flowers
More potted plants ready to go to a new home
If you are ever in Hong Kong and you like plants I recommend you to go. They have a huge variety of flowers and plants for sale or just for admiring. It's truly a fun walk.
Hong Kong Flower Market
Flower Market Road, Mong Kok. Opens from 7am to 7pm.
How to get there
- MTR Prince Edward Station Exit B1.
Walk east along Prince Edward Road West. - MTR Mong Kok East Station Exit C.
Walk to Sai Yee Street via the footbridge and follow the signs.
Visit the Hong Kong Flower Market
On a different subject, the Carnival will be this January
Be ready with a post about what do you plan on doing at your garden this next year, Maybe about one particular plant you want to have, a renovation you will do, a special patch you will grow, a new gardening technique you will give a try, or any other project you have prepared for this new year.
I don't imagine I will ever be able to go to the market in Hong Kong but I look forward to seeing your photos when you manage to get them to load.
ReplyDeleteEsther
What a fantastic place to visit for a gardenlover.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to see more pictures from your trip to Hong Kong.
A fantastic country I would like to visit some time.
Have a great time.
Gunilla
Amazing photos! Though I have never been to any of these places, your descriptions and photography make it easy to imagine what it might be like. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletePS, the flower you are wondering about is in the Proteaceae family. Which genus exactly, I am not sure. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteHi Fer; I bet you were in "heaven" at the flower market, and wishing that you could buy plants to take home with you. When we were in Hong Kong there was a big flower market on the island, at D'Aguilar street. I wonder if the Mong Kok one has replaced this.
ReplyDeleteI would love the whole experience. The only part is I couldn't bring it all home with me! Lovely photos, fer!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I wish we had markets like this here. I guess if you have "lucky plants" you always have someone who will need one. Probably a really good strategy to keep their economy going.
ReplyDelete¡Maravillosas fotos, soy fascinada por los colores y la cantidad de plantas desconocidas! Los mercados italianos son muy similares a lo de Hong Kong, y creo a los mexicanos tambien... ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! it was a very fun trip
ReplyDeleteNature Drunk ~ Thanks for the info, I had seen this one in Mexico, but I had no idea of the name.
Mark ~ I hear this is the main one now, but I an not sure if they have more at the island, I think they must. I will ask.
Dona ~ Mi piacerebbe andare in Italia a vedere i mercati. Penso che รจ troppo simile al Messico
thats´a lot of flowers. :) Would be nice to visit onece, but then I think it is to busy for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words on my blog. I am glad if I inspire you. :)
Oh how I miss flower markets. Your pictures remind me of my days in The Netherlands when we would go to the flower market each week. It must have been difficult to see all those beautiful plants and not be able to take any home with you. Sometimes we just have to enjoy the experience and bring the memories home.
ReplyDeleteI love flower markets. In Europe they are splendid. The Hong Kong one looks to be fantastic as well.
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous markets. There is nothing like that around here and I so wish there was. I would be there everyday.
ReplyDeleteNice to see all the flowers now that many blogs are showing snow or gardens without flowers. The big cluster of pitcher plants is really cool. You seldom see them offered here in the US.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the directions! I've jot down exactly what you typed. Planned to go HK in Oct :))
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your writing and photos. Before you mentioned Mexico, I thought of it, too, when you talked about people calling out for customers and people discussing the price. I've only been to Mexico once, but the shopping sure was different from the U.S.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
I enjoyed the tour - thanks fer! We don't have anything like that here...wish we did!
ReplyDeleteA flower market two blocks long! This is a dream! We don't have anything like that here, though we do have farmer's markets, selling fruits and vegetables, which are fairly large. Here we have florist shops with limited choices and high prices! I did purchase some beautiful cut flowers for Christmas from a local grocery store at a reasonable price, $4 a bunch.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delight to see! Looking forward to more! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNever having seen this makes it even more amazing. Wow, what selection.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers hanging look like Nepanthes? Monkey Pod plant, the ones before the colorful flower that you ask "what are these?"
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Wow what a selection they have almost everything from all over the world. I spy some Australian native flower there in your picture. I never seen pitcher plant sell in the market other than Malaysia before.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! It was really nice to see all the flowers, too bad I could not bring them home. And I would love to go to europe to see the markets there.
ReplyDeleteSue ~ Is great to see that my story made you think of it before I said it. I hope my writing is getting better, tho I know it will take me time.
Deb ~ If you ever get a the chance to go to Mexico City, there is a flower market over 10 blocks long!
Muddy Boots Dreams ~ Thanks for the name!
It's all so colourful. Gorgeous photos.
ReplyDeleteFantastic market Fer, they would all be house plants in Scotland. I have a post ready for your carnival.
ReplyDeleteI can almost smell the flowers in your photos! Have always loved to visit the local markets whenever I travel abroad, especially the flower markets, they are sooo amazing!
ReplyDeleteLook at all that beautiful color!! Lovely post Fer! Thanks for visiting my blog!!
ReplyDeleteFragrant chaos, how wonderful! Wish we had smell-o-vision...
ReplyDeleteHi Fer, Thanks for sharing your visit---what a selection. We do have flower markets like this in the US but they are usually only open to the wholesale trade. I have been to the one in Boston with a friend who owns a restaurant and had a pass. Similar to what you saw except inside and the prices were amazingly low. They would run over your foot if you didn't get out of the way. Carolyn
ReplyDeleteHi Fer, happy new year. I love your blog. I used to live in Japan many, many years ago and although I didn't manage to do any gardening out there, I was fascinated by the gardens I visited and by the plots my neighbours tended. Lots of apples, individually wrapped for protection, whilst still on the tree - that sort of thing. Also I remember there was an obsession with melons which came gift wrapped and boxed and cost the earth!
ReplyDeleteI am very jealous, I would love to visit this market. I would be very poor if I had a market like this near me!
ReplyDeleteSuch colour and variety. Like others said we don't have these open markets, a shame as it so much more inviting and personal. Interesting how more structured Japan is when I see the comparison in your photos.
ReplyDeleteYour comparison of this market vs. other countries you've visited was so picturesque that I could easily picture it in my mind. The only thing that didn't fit for me was imagining chaos while looking at those neatly arranged cut flowers... they are so perfect!
ReplyDeleteA lots of varieties, so beautiful and even clean and manageable. Wish to visit Hong Kong in future.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to your part of the world but the flower market looks somewhat similar to what I remember seeing when we lived in Germany--and similar to some I've seen in larger cities here in the US, especially Boston (Faneuil Hall, for one). I'm sure it's not the exactly the same but it just reminds me of it. But I have never seen one outdoors around here at this time of year...that's for sure! The happiest wishes to you for a great new year ahead.
ReplyDeleteSo many variety of flowers! I can almost smell the scent of flowers while going through your photos!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the tour of the market! The flowers and plants are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOver here, Puerto Rico, USA, perhaps is the heat, or the indifference towards nature, aesthetics, there are no flower markets at all..
ReplyDeleteIn el Condado an upscale neighborhood someone
sell perhaps 15 types of flowers in a street corner.
Nice blog...
fer !! This is how the Dutch and Belgium markets operated as well (we lived in the Netherlands for a few years) .. we loved it even though it unnerved us because Canadians are steeped in the logic of "personal space" .. but Europeans have NONE of that , they will be right in your face and walk right on your feet to get to what they want to see ! LOL .. Needless to say it took some time to get used to that ?
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are gorgeous and that is what I miss terribly .. cheap beautiful flowers :-(
You are having another carnival ? I have to make a note of that .. it will be fun to actually write your Spring HOPES out ! : )
Joy
I am drooling over these flowers! Utterly irresistable!
ReplyDeleteHey Fer, I did enjoy that :-)
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a flower market before. What fun to be sitting here in Scotland, while browsing a flower market in Hong Kong. Fantastic! Thanks, what great photos too :-)
Hope you had a nice Christmas, sending my best wishes for 2011 :-)
Hi fer
ReplyDeleteNice pics. Tulips from away are in our grocery stores this week - maybe imported from your market. The pitcher plants are a pretty addition to the mix, and a little out of the ordinary.
Happy New Year.
Great. The pictures have appeared. What a dramatic and colourful place!
ReplyDeleteEsther
Very colorful and beautiful pictures .. shops look so inviting...A gardeners paradise.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great new year with lots of gardening...!
Flower markets in different countries are always interesting - the same in many ways but with major differences depending on the culture. The sad thing is not being able to bring it all home with you!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! such a great response for this post!
ReplyDeletemilka ~ I hope you have the best trip
charlottesplot ~ Yes so many great gardens in Japan. And a lot of the "fancy" expensive fruit. I should do a post about that.
antigonum cajan ~ Wow, I had no idea they didn't have flower markets. I thought being a latin country they will have plenty.
And remember, the carnival is this 17th! hope you guys can make it.
Probably the best place to buy fresh flowers in Hong Kong. They sell flowers that are much more cheaper than in the shopping districts.
ReplyDeleteThe yellow one that you didn't know looked like an Australian native, the Waratah. And the colours on the other two in the photo looked somewhat artificial.....?
ReplyDelete