The delightful illustrations in The New York Botanical Garden Engagement Calendar for 2007 come from a marvelous two-volume folio by Pierre-Joseph Buchoz (1731-1807), a prolific 18th-century naturalist. Collection Precieuse et Enluminees des Fleurs, les Plus Belles et les Plus Curieuses, qui se Cultivent Tant dans les Jardins de la Chine, que dans ceux de l Europe (A Rare, Illustrated Collection of Flowers, the most Beautiful and the Most Exotic, Grown in the Gardens of China as well as Europe) is a rare and beautiful work and its 200 color plates are quite unusual. Published in Paris in 1776 when interest in chinoiserie was strong, the original illustrations were done by native Chinese artists (unattributed), but the ensuing engravings were hand-colored in Paris, giving them a unique and utterly charming flavor, a distinct mix of East and West. Buchoz was the first in Europe to publish illustrations of Chinese flora and fauna by Chinese artists. Volume one of Collection Precieuse is full of extraordinary set pieces featuring Chinese plants, birds, butterflies, insects, and decorative rock formations. Volume two depicts common European garden plants rendered in a distinctly Asian style. Although Buc hoz never gained the plaudits he sought for his scientific work, the composition and quality of his prints in these two volumes are comparable to the best natural history works of the period and he was ahead of his time in introducing Oriental influences to the Parisian art world. Durable hard covers and a cloth-covered spine conceal a spiral wire binding that allows it to lie flat for easy writing. Its pages are large enough to write appointments and reminders, yet it can still be easily slipped into a bag. A ribbon marker helps keep one's place. Year-at-a-glance calendars for past, present, and future make long-term planning simple to do.