WHAT'S NEW: FOOD CARRIERS HAVE FLAIR

Vonny's casserole and pie carriers let you show up at your next potluck in style.

The carriers have laminated canvas exteriors in cheerful prints and brightly coloured interiors. Both are insulated to maintain a dish's temperature, whether hot or cold.

The designer casserole carrier fits a standard 9-by 13-inch dish and has an interior pocket for hot or cold packs. An exterior pocket holds storage utensils.

The pie carrier fits a standard nine-to 10-inch pie plate and has a nonskid surface on the inside to keep the pie from sliding in transit.

The casserole carrier costs $48 and the pie carrier, $64. They can be ordered at www.vonny.com and are sold in boutiques across the United States and Canada. Shipping is extra.

HOW TO STORE SUMMER-FLOWERING BULBS

Q: I want to make sure all those bulbs I dug out of the ground are good to go for spring. How and where should I keep them?

A: In general, summer-flowering bulbs need to be stored in a cool, dry place where they're protected from freezing. In many cases, it's a good idea to let them air dry for a week or so and then store them in peat moss or sawdust, perhaps in a brown paper bag, a net bag or an old pair of pantyhose.

The best storage methods differ among flowers, however. The Ohio State University Extension has information in its summer flowering bulbs fact sheet (HYG-1244-92). It can be found in the yard and garden section at http: //ohioline.osu.edu.

Dayton Nurseries in Norton, Ohio, has a good tip on its website: Be sure to label the bulbs when you store them. Otherwise you might not be able to tell them apart when it's time to replant.

BOOK GIVES GUIDANCE ON SAVING SEEDS

Some gardeners save seeds to cut costs. Some save them to preserve rare plant species. Others just crave the kinds of tomatoes you can't buy in a store.

Whatever the motivation, The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds provides the information to get you started.

Authors Robert Gough and Cheryl MooreGough provide a basic botany lesson and information about harvesting and preparing seeds, saving them from season to season and using them to grow new plants. For the more ambitious seed savers, there's information about breeding new plant varieties.

About half of the book is devoted to specific information about 322 plants. The book covers not just vegetables and fruits, but herbs, flowers, trees and shrubs as well.

The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds is published by Storey Publishing and sells for $24.95 in softcover.