Sonia Beiruti Dies Aged 89

Sonia Beiruti.
Sonia Beiruti.
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Sonia Beiruti Dies Aged 89

Sonia Beiruti.
Sonia Beiruti.

Lebanese media figure Sonia Beiruti passed away quietly on January 16 at the age of 89, after she spent her last days with her eldest son, Antoine, who embraced her with his wife and children, offering her a last refuge.

She gave up on hosting many years ago, and rarely answered phone calls. She never liked social media and refused to own a cellphone, or use WhatsApp and other electronic services.

Beiruti worked in several newspapers and magazines, and served as an advisor for many media personalities and esteemed organizations. She started her journey at Dar Assayad, then worked in several institutions including Annahar newspaper and Al-Hasnaa magazine.

Later, she met late director Simon Asmar in the elevator at Annahar building, where he made her an offer: “I have a new artistic program. Are you interested in such an experience?” When she said that she never worked in art-related journalism, he replied: “you are a journalist with a thirst for knowledge and curiosity, you will find a way to explore stars”.

At that moment, Sonia started her life of fame. She was a petite woman known for her short hair, attractive voice, smart questions, and elegant appearance.

In a previous interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, she said: “After my participation in this program which marked a turning point on Lebanese TV, I walked on the street like I was flying in the sky. People recognized me all the time, they stopped me to ask questions and I answered nicely. A beautiful connection was built between me and the audience thanks to this popular, super successful program.”

Many Lebanese generations knew Sonia Beiruti, but she rarely appeared as a guest in TV programs although many TV hosts raced to interview her to learn from her experience.

Beiruti wrote several books including The Mills of Sectarianism, which highlights the writer’s experiences during the Lebanese civil war; she also wrote The Cords of Air which features the stories of 24 women who escape to beauty, youth, dream, fragility, and motherhood, and then discover that it was an illusion.

Sonia adored Beirut and always said: “I am Beiruti and I love Lebanon from head to toe.” She also liked swimming in Beirut’s sea even during the winter.

“I adore Beirut, its streets, neighborhoods, and houses, especially the alleys of Achrafieh where I was raised. Its sea has always been my closest friend in the summer and winter,” she said. “I remember when Samira Khashoggi offered to take me with her to Egypt, to escape the war and run Asharqiya magazine. I accepted on one condition, I wanted to visit Lebanon every 10 days,” she added.

The late media figure was passionate about her work in journalism. When she spoke about it, she said: “I wasn’t one of the journalists who use their instinct to judge a star, or a politician in a certain situation. Research, observation, and questions were my only way to investigate incidents and people. During my career, I was surprised with the potential of many people I met by coincidence, like Majida El Roumi, the little lady that entered the studio and shocked us with her powerful voice and turned the place upside down. We were all proud of her.”

About the media and television of today, Sonia believed that they have completely changed. “My advice to those working in today’s media is never to be afraid of telling the truth because it is the only way to build a country. I feel bored while watching TV today, only the political subjects interest me,” she said.

“He had remarkable humor. Once, we were talking, then he jumped to his library and grabbed a newspaper to confirm what he was saying. He changed the conversation repeatedly in a funny way that never bores you,” she said about Raymond Eddé, the funniest personality she hosted during her career.

About politics in Lebanon, she said: “Even the understanding of politics has changed today. everyone wants his share of the country like if it was an inheritance. Lebanon needs saviors to rescue it from its fall.”

The Lebanese bid a sad farewell to Sonia Beiruti on Tuesday in a funeral held in a church in Haret Sakhr. She was a media icon that reminded them of the golden days of television; she wasn’t a regular journalist, she established her own media school.

Once, Beiruti said “A human could not get enough of his love for life but one day, they have to respect its limits. Time is a school that we should not skip any of its lessons.”



10 Native Spring Ephemerals that Bring Early Color to the Garden

This July 12, 2005, image provided by Bugwood.org shows dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). (Joseph OBrien/USDA Forest Service/Bugwood.org via AP)
This July 12, 2005, image provided by Bugwood.org shows dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). (Joseph OBrien/USDA Forest Service/Bugwood.org via AP)
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10 Native Spring Ephemerals that Bring Early Color to the Garden

This July 12, 2005, image provided by Bugwood.org shows dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). (Joseph OBrien/USDA Forest Service/Bugwood.org via AP)
This July 12, 2005, image provided by Bugwood.org shows dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). (Joseph OBrien/USDA Forest Service/Bugwood.org via AP)

Spring brings the return of color to the garden as bulbs bloom, perennials re-emerge, and new annuals settle in. But there’s a less common category of plants that’s also worth knowing: native spring ephemerals.

Compared to most garden plants, ephemerals are fleeting, but their role in bridging the gap between winter and spring is invaluable.

Ephemerals come to life in very early spring to take advantage of the season’s increased soil moisture, early spring rains and the availability of sunlight under leafless trees.

They poke up, grow quickly, put on a colorful show and then go dormant all within 6 to 8 weeks, typically from when the last snow melts to when the trees leaf out. And unlike plants that leave fading foliage behind, ephemerals retreat without a trace — or nearly so — allowing you to take advantage of the precious real estate left behind for later-season, shade-loving perennials, The AP news reported.

Early food for insects, and a sight for sore eyes Native ephemerals' role in nature is to feed starving insects that emerge from dormancy at a time when other food is scarce. But they also provide flowery accents for garden-starved humans at a time when landscape color is scarce.

Plant potted ephemerals or their corms or rhizomes in either spring or early fall. If sowing seeds, do so in late summer or early fall to allow time for growth and root establishment before winter. Either way, select a spot under deciduous trees that receives temporary spring sunlight and has well-draining, acidic soil (exceptions are noted below).

A generous helping of compost, mixed into the soil, will provide nutrients, and a 2-inch layer of mulch will insulate and protect roots while dormant.

Fertilizer isn’t absolutely necessary, but a dose provided when buds begin to form in spring will boost flower size.

In fall, dig up and divide overgrown ephemerals, if necessary, and give the area a good watering to help prepare them for winter. Because the plants will likely disappear underground by mid-summer, marking their spots with popsicle sticks in spring will make finding them easier.

Here are 10 native spring ephemerals to consider: Azure bluet (Houstonia caerulea) — Small, pale-blue flower with yellow center and rosette leaves. Sow seeds just below the soil surface. Grow in rock gardens or in the lawn, but don’t mow until plants have set seed for the following year. Grows 8 inches tall.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) — One large, broad leaf and one orange-centered white flower per plant, each on its own stem. Spreads quickly to form a ground cover. Grows 12-14 inches tall.

Calypso orchid, fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa) — A single, dainty, purple-magenta-yellow-white blossom atop a slender stem with a single leaf. Thrives best in shade or part shade and can handle alkaline soil. Grows 2-8 inches tall.

Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) — Deep-cut, feathery foliage, slender stems and drooping, fragrant white flowers. Note to parents and pet owners: All of its parts are toxic, but only if consumed in large quantities; causes minor skin irritation when touched. Beneficial to bumblebees. Grows 10 inches tall.

Fringed bleeding hearts (Dicentra eximia) — Not to be confused with the Asian bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), this US native has light-green, fernlike foliage and clusters of drooping, heart-shaped pink flowers on mounding plants. Thrives in moist, rocky soil and prefers part-shade to shade. Attracts birds. Grows 1-2 feet tall.

Great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) — A triplet of oval leaves surrounds a solitary large white flower that turns pink as it matures. Berries and roots have a low toxicity, but only if eaten. Thrives in sun to shade. Grows 1-3 feet tall.

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) — Pink, but opens to reveal blue flowers on arching, branched stems. Prefers part shade or shade, and moist, rocky soil. A colonizing, rapid spreader. Grows 1-3 feet tall.

Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) — Pink or white flowers on maroon stems with whorled leaves. Prefers partly shady conditions. Note to parents and pet owners: All parts of this plant are toxic, but only if eaten in large quantities; contact with sap will cause irritation. Grows 9 inches tall.

Trout lily (Erythronium americanum) — Blotchy leaves and red-tinged, nodding yellow flowers with curled-back petals. Will perform best in full sun but can handle part shade. Does not transplant well, so leave it in place once planted. Grows 8 inches tall.

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) — Each leaf is divided into two lung-shaped leaflets, with white, star-shaped flowers atop leafless flower stalks. Petals are delicate and can be blown off by wind. Grows 1-3 feet tall.