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Wit and wisdom of the earth
It's fairly common knowledge that a rose is a rose is a rose, that daffodils show up in golden clouds and tulips are for tiptoes, that lilacs grow in doorways and April showers bring May flowers. But you may not know that according to a Chinese proverb, "losing face is as important to people as losing bark is to a tree," or - and you'll have to take this from an anonymous source - "weeds are people's idea, not nature's."
Poets and presidents and the people down the block who grow dahlias you could die for have filled the ages with observations about gardening - touching on everything from lust amid the asparagus to Martha Stewart in the Eugenia myrtifolia. I've been gathering a bouquet of bons mots and thought I'd share a few with you.
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The colour of love
Dinesh likes to do everything differently. That's why this Valentine's Day, he's not going to give his fiance red roses. "Everyone gives roses," says the software consultant. "I'm thinking of buying her yellow and white tulips instead." Cheerful tulips are just one of the possible alternatives for those wanting to make a statement with flowers today. There's a whole world of flowers out there, and this is the perfect time to experiment and think beyond the traditional bouquet of red roses. Suganthi, florist at the Taj Coromandel, recommends gerbera in riotous shades of red, yellow and orange. "It looks like sunshine and makes you happy," she says with a smile. Or there's the perfect flower for Valentine's Day red or pink in colour and heart-shaped; the anthorium. Her favourite is the exotic Bird of Paradise.
Perfect for an Irish spring
"Sure 'tis like a morn in spring," this St. Patrick's Day bouquet offers a traditional 100,000 welcomes or, as they say in Ireland, Ced Mile Filte! Preparation Create your St. Patrick's Day bouquet using two of the most revered symbols of the emerald isle — Guinness beer and shamrocks. Once you empty the Guinness carton (hey, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it), slip two to three shamrock plants into the carton sections and make two or three small nosegays for the other sections. Yellow, green and white flowers lend a light, fresh spring touch and go well with the elegant black and tan Guinness carton colors. Think sunny yellow daffodils or tulips mixed with apple-green hypericum and snowy-white mini-carnations. White daisies, freesia, baby's breath, forsythia and bells of Ireland are also options.
Journal clubs help scientists know what's going on
"Journal clubs help scientists know what's going on in the field," said Bianca Brandon, who teaches in the Science and Engineering Research Program (SERP) at Staten Island Tech. "For medical residents, who work notoriously long hours, it helps them keep abreast of articles they might not have time to read." SHARING RESEARCH In Ms. Brandon's own classroom, a journal club gives her students the opportunity to share their own research and get feedback from teachers and peers. Journal clubs vary in composition and structure, but basically they are regularly held meetings where participants meet to present and critically assess recently published scientific literature, or methods and conclusions drawn from their own research. They are found regularly in medical residency and graduate science programs throughout the country; dozens meet on Staten Island.
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