AROUND HOME : Country Flower Drying BY BEVERLY OLSON & JUDY LAZZARA (Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.; 1988)

FINALLY, A REALLY useful book on flower drying. A reader doesn’t have to live in the country, either; those who raise plants in an urban back yard can also play. The authors list several flowers and foliage plants with detailed drawings and specific techniques for drying each, including notes on the handling of seedpods and making wreaths and floral collages. A solitary complaint: There are only four color photographs, and they’re pretty enough to make a reader wish for more; $9.95.