Tim Johnson, age 12, of St. Paul, Minn., for his question:

WHERE DO STRAW FLOWERS COME FROM?

Most flowers have fragile petals that wither and fade all too soon. But a few others produce more durable blossoms. Instead of wilting, their petals become dry and crisp. Some people call them everlasting flowers because they keep their original shapes and colors for years. One of the most popular types are the straw flowers that produce small chrysanthemum¬type blossoms, usually in bright shades of yellow.

Statice, or sea lavender, produces bunches of papery flowers in purple, yellow or white. Others bear papery globes in bright purples, orange or white. Others look like pretty paper daisies. Most of the everlasting plants are garden annuals that produce flowers in a single season.