Month : Nov ‘08 Location : Singapore Botanic Garden, Singapore
Singapore Botanic Gardens, at its present site, was found in 1859 by an Agri-Horticultural Society. In 1874, the maintenance of the site was handed over to the government. The Gardens’ first Director, Henry Nicholas Ridley, came to the Gardens in 1888 and worked tirelessly for the next 23 years to usher the Gardens into the twentieth century and its most productive period historically.
It was also during Ridley’s administration that Singapore’s national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was discovered. An Armenian lady, Agnes Joaquim was in her garden when a new hybrid caught her attention. Thrilled with the beautiful discovery, she rushed to Ridley with the plant. Ridley confirmed that a new orchid hybrid, previously unknown to science and that flowered freely year round has been created.
Beginning in 1928, Professor Eric Holttum, Director of the Gardens from 1925 – 1949, set up laboratories and conducted the first experiments in orchid breeding and hybridisation. The results of these experiments, free flowering and hardy orchid hybrids laid the foundation for the multi-million dollar cut flower industry. Since then, outstanding hybrids have been cultivated in the Gardens and received recognition worldwide. - Singapore Botanic Gardens
For more information, please visit SBG website.
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