Flower Growing in Tienwei

Flower gardens of all sizes can be found in every corner of Taiwan. One Of the largest is in Tienwei, Changhua County in the central part of the island. Flower growing is ideally suited to Tienwei, because of its fertile land and warm climate. Most flower growers there learned their skills from their fathers and grandfathers, but they have also continued to perfect the art by further research and studies. In 1971, the Taiwan provincial Government and the farmers' association in Tienwei started a flower growing class to which they invited agricultural and horticultural experts to help solve problems associated with cultivation. In 1973, after the government classified Tienwei as a specialized area for flowers, new techniques were introduced and new species planted. The government also helped flower growers to improve and increase production, and to estimate the needs on the domestic and foreign flower markets. At present, an area of 350 hectares in Tienwei is used for growing flowers, with 150 hectares allocated to 250 chrysanthemum growers, 50 hectares to 100 gladioli growers, and 150 hectares to 350 growers of seedlings and potted plants. Tienwei can produce 30 million chrysanthemum and 6 million gladioli blooms each year. Fifteen million of the blooms, priced at US$0.05 each on average, are exported, mainly to Japan and Hong Kong by air freight. The remaining 17 million are sold on the domestic market. Flower growers in Tienwei can earn US$780,000 from exports and US$800,000 on the domestic market each year. Specialists at the department of agriculture of the National Chunhsing University have introduced a new technique to the Tienwei flower growers, "flower cultivation by electric light." The new technique is specially helpful during the winter time when there is not enough sunshine to enable flowers to grow naturally. The electric lights are spaced six feet apart and turned on three to four hours during the daytime until 65 days before the blooms are due, when they must be turned off. The heat from the lamps not only enables flowers to grow, but also can control the time of the appearance of the blooms. Besides growing flowers, Tienwei's horticulturalists also plant trees in pots which they trim into different shapes once they are grown. Some of these potted plants are worth as much as US$10,000 each. In 1973, when Shieh Tung-min, Governor of Taiwan province, visited Tienwei, he proposed that a large public garden be included in the facilities. Later, the local government authorities asked experts to design the garden, which today has wide walkways, pavilions and chairs for tourists to rest, and a stall selling soft drinks and refreshments. Arc lamps are located allover the garden so that people can come in the evening to enjoy the flowers. The government is also planning to build a tourist hotel which will attract more visitors.