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TOH GARDEN
MARCH NEWSLETTER
In this March Newsletter, we took the opportunity to introduce our National Flower,
Vanda Miss Joaquim as well new varieties that are flowering for
the first time in our nursery.
1st March 2011
TOH GARDEN
Quality Orchid Grower
© 2011
11 Lorong Pasu,
Sungei Tengah Agrotech Park
Singapore, 699191
Ph (65) 6763 9186 Fx (65) 6763 1195
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WWW.TOHGARDEN.COM
:: TOH GARDEN ::
:: March Newsletter ::
1ST MARCH 2011
:: By editor@tohgarden.com ::
Dear Growers and Friends,
It’s been a while since we last sent out a newsletter to
everyone as we’ve been upgrading our web capabilities
and shuffling information databases. Some subscribers
have requested for us to publish our newsletter online,
thus we will have our past newsletters available for
download in future.
20th World Orchid Conference
Singapore will be hosting the 20th World Orchid
Conference this year. We have received inquiries on the
possibility of visits to our nursery prior to the event
recently. Interested parties, kindly contact us early so
that we can group and assign someone to bring you
around our nursery.
Singapore and her National Flower
This year, we would like to take the opportunity to
Above: Epidendrum hybrids
introduce our national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim in
Epidendrums are terrestrial orchids that grow very
this newsletter together with parts of its botanical
much like shrubs and require minimal care. They
history. Often misrepresented by layman and guides, the
enjoy sunny spots and flower throughout the year here
Vanda Miss Joaquim is not a natural species but a
in the tropics. We have a new crop of Epidendrums
natural hybrid. Vanda Miss Joaquim was first found in
flowering this year.
her garden in the 1890s by Joaquim Agnes, an avid,
accomplished horticulturist and daughter of a prominent
Do check out our latest addition to our catalogue..
and respected Armenian family.
Toh Garden
11 Lorong Pasu, Sungei Tengah Agrotech Park
Singapore 699191
Visit Us @ http://www.tohgarden.com/
Vanda Miss Joaquim
Vanda hookieriana. X Vanda teres.
Despite being created by natural pollinators (e.g. carpenter
bees etc), the Vanda Miss Joaquim cannot be considered a
true species as both parent plants are from different natural
habitat. Vanda hookieriana was obtained in Perak whilst
Vanda teres from Burma.
On the 15th April 1981, Mr S. Dhanabalan, Singapore’s
Minister of Culture announced the selection of the Vanda
Miss Joaquim as the Republic’s national flower after having
a committee with members of distinctive guests go through
forty different types of angiosperm in consideration.
Vanda Miss Joaquim and her Chinese Name
A Chinese name, “ঃ䭖зԓ‫ ”ޠ‬was also meticulously
Vanda Miss Joaquim sold by the bundle.
selected for Vanda Miss Joaquim. ”зԓ‫ ”ޠ‬is the Chinese
translation for Vanda, meaning orchid that proliferates for
x
Vanda Miss Joaquim is a natural hybrid.
tens of thousands generation. The name “ঃ䭖” (Joaquim)
x
Vanda Miss Joaquim was discovered in
was coined up using, “ঃ” meaning unsurpassed/ superior/
outstanding and “䭖” meaning delicately embroidered work
(and in this sense probably meaning a delicately created
work of nature).
1893 by Agnes Joaquim in her garden.
x
Director of the Botanic Garden, Singapore.
x
excellence) ˈ”ঃ↺” (special/ unusual) and “䭖ḷ” (prized
trophy), “䭖㔓” (beautiful).
The sequence of the mother plant and
pollen plant was unknown as thus epithets
were sorted alphabetically.
Individually, both “ঃ” and “䭖” are capable of forming
many other good words such as “ঃ䎺” (distinctive/
The orchid was registered by Ridley, former
x
The orchid propelled to fame within a
short period of its discovery and
was soon known and
grown by growers
worldwide.
Left: Vanda teres X Vanda Miss Joaquim
aside from those frequently described in literature. Many
more varieties should have staved off her family tree to
date.
Many old hybrids have been displaced by newer
improved ones today. However, certain old hybrids like
Vanda John Clubb (1948) and Vanda Poepoe ‘Diana’
(1948) created though a series of cross and backcross
still withstood the test of time. Though rare these days,
Coming together, I believe the name signifies delicately
unsurpassed work that proliferates for tens of thousands
they are still available. Side by side with our national
flower, these are truly living heritage.
generations. Vanda Miss Joaquim should be over 110
years, more than a century, since its creation by Mother
Our interest in these teret Vanda came about 10 years
Nature.
ago when the number of teret Vanda growers dwindled
due to the declining number of orchid growers here in
Our leaders probably chose this meaningful name for
our national flower in the early makings of Singapore as
Singapore.
Below: A handful of Vanda John Clubb
they hope for her to truly become an outstanding
country, delicately made by its creator, and proliferate
for tens of thousands of generations.
To date, Singapore will be celebrating her 46th birthday
this 2011. Singapore certainly has progressed a long way
for a country with only human resources and limited
natural resources but it’s still an even longer way to go
to reach that milestone.
Her lineage
Even before its recognition as our national flower,
Vanda Miss Joaquim was common breeding stock with
more than 400 varieties of orchids with its ancestry.
However many of these hybrids were not registered
– Vanda Miss Joaquim –
A living heritage to be remembered...
Starting from a small stock of Vanda teres, Vanda
hookeriana and Vanda Miss Joaquim, we gradually took
more interest into the Vanda teres varieties as they tend
to produce large showy flowers as compared to the
Vanda hookeriana hybrids.
In the book, “The Malayan Naturalist”, Holttum
mentioned that Vanda teres flowers irregularly and
poorly here as they require a pronounced dry season in
order for them to flower well.
Reference
However, after more than 7 years of hybridization and
For those interested in more reads on Vanda Miss
10 years of cultivation here at TG, we’ve produced
Joaquim and her history, I recommend the following
Vanda teres hybrids that are tamed to our climate. These
books available from the National Library Board,
hybrids flower throughout the year when matured and
Singapore:
yet retain delightful characteristics of the Vanda teres’s
beautiful large flowers.
“A Joy Forever – Vanda Miss Joaquim – Singapore’s National
Flower” by Teoh Eng Soon.
To date, we have cultivated more than a hundred
“Vanda Miss Joaquim – Singapore’s National Flower & the Legacy of
Agnes & Ridley” by Harold Johnson & Nadia Wright.
variations from hybridizing the Vanda teres, Vanda
hookeriana and Vanda Miss Joaquim herself.
“Role of The Singapore Botanic Gardens in the Development of
Orchid Hybrid” by H. M. Burkill
“The Malayan Naturalist – Volume II No.1 – The Singapore
Naturalist” by the Singapore Natural History Society
“The Malayan Orchid Review – Volume II No. 1” by the Malayan
Orchid Society.
Watch out for our “Orchid Care” section next for advice
on the cultivation of teret Vanda..
Top: Vanda Teres var ‘Gigantea’ with unusually
large flowers.
Left: Vanda teres X Vanda Miss Joaquim
‘Douglas’
– Vanda Miss Joaquim –
A living heritage to be remembered...
New Stock Available
Renanthera Kalsom (SGD$25)
This batch of Renanthera Kalsom is flowering for the very
first time after being cultivated for about 20 months. These
plants have been artificially selected for short and free
flowering plants.
Epidendrum Melody Valley (SGD$20)
This Epidendrum has been artificially selected to flower
short and compact. This variety requires minimal care.
Intermediate Dendrobiums (SGD$12)
These intermediate Dendrobiums don’t grow as big as the
usual Dendrobiums due to its Dendrobium biggibum
bloodline:
1.
Dendrobium Hidden Money
2.
Dendrobium Burana White var. Prapin
3.
Dendrobium Ekapol hybrid
Above: Renanthera Kalsom (SGD$25)
Dendrobium Royal Violet (SGD$15)
This new violet Dendrobiums is one of our in-house hybrids
produced while in search of a blue tinge orchid. It is capable
of producing more than 30 blooms per stalk.
Dendrobium Hidden Money
Dendrobium Royal Violet
Dendrobium Ekapol Hybrid
Dendrobium Apple Green
Dendrobium Pastel Green (SGD$12)
This is another of our in-house hybrids that flowered
recently. A good gift for those who love pastel colours.
Epidendrum Melody Valley
Dendrobium Burana White var Prapin