Who is Vanda Miss Joaquim?
In case you are wondering, who is Vanda Miss Joaquim. That is Singapore's national flower (selected in 15 Apr 1981), an orchid, named after the Miss Agnes Joaquim (7 Apr 1864 - 2 Jul 1899). The flower is a cross between Burmese Vanda teres (pod parent) and the Malayan Vanda hookeriana (pollen parent). It is a hardy flower and free flowering.
The Vanda Miss Joaquim was selected from among 40 flowers, out of which 30 were orchids, as Singapore's national flower. This makes Singapore the only country to have a hybrid as her national flower. Among the several varieties of Vanda Miss Joaquim, the variety "Agnes" was chosen particularly for its vibrant colours, hardiness and resilience - qualities which reflect the Singapore spirit. Its ability to bloom throughout the year also won the judges over.
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| At Istana near the Villa |
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| Buckill Hall at National Orchid Garden |
Agnes Joaquim
Miss Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian, bred it and the plant was taken to taken to H. N. Ridley, the director of the Singapore Botanic Garden at the time, who first described the hybrid plant in the Gardeners' Chronicle on 24 June 1893.
Agnes Joaquim won prizes at annual flower shows and famously won the prize for the rarest orchid at the 1899 annual flower show. The first prize was for a hybrid that was named after her, Vanda 'Miss Joaquim'. However, already suffering from cancer then, she died soon after receiving this prize.
Besides gardening, she was also an active member of the Armenian Church and a skilled embroiderer.
Agnes was the eldest daughter and second child of a brood of 11 of Parsick (Basil) Joaquim, an Armenian merchant and commercial agent. Their family had an illustrious history of contributions to the Singapore community, beginning with Agnes' father's philanthropy towards the general community.
