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Coaxing Vanda Miss Joaquim to bloom for National Day
Gardens by the Bay team finds way to time orchid's flowering outside usual peak periods
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Vanessa Liu
Every year around August, the horticultural team at Gardens by the Bay goes on an islandwide hunt for an elusive flower to add to its yearly orchid display: the Vanda Miss Joaquim.
The hybrid orchid is Singapore's national flower, but because its peak flowering periods occur in May and September, it has always been a challenge to gather enough blooms close to the city state's National Day, which falls on Aug 9.
