A couple of ex-pats from the United Kingdom sent a lovely card from the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The card shows an orchid called Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim, or the Singapore orchid, or the Princess Aloha orchid, or the Vanda Miss Joaquim. . This orchid just happens to be the national flower of Singapore.
The Miss Joaquim was chosen for its resilience and year-round blooming
quality, to represent Singapore's uniqueness and hybrid culture.
Miss Joaquim is Agnes Joaquim. She was a Singaporean Armenian born in Singapore. She was an avid gardener. She won many prizes at annual flower shows. In 1899 she won the prize for the rarest orchid and the flower show. First prize was getting the honour of a hybrid orchid named after her.
Unfortunately, Joaquim was suffering from cancer at the time and died three months after winning the flower show.
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