Tiptoe through the tulips for these helpful tips

Dear Heloise: I received a wonderful hint from my hairdresser, who is from Holland. When you have a vase of cut tulips and they start to bend over, put two pennies in the vase with the water, and the tulips will stand up straight! Fay from Kensington, Md.

Fay, we decided to see what we could find out about tulips!

And here is what we found. First of all, did you know that tulips are the only cut flowers that continue to grow after they are cut? They can grow up to an inch or more! Tulips bend toward the light source. So, to keep them straight, they need to be placed where light is right above them.

The penny in the water is a home remedy that many people use to keep flowers longer. However, these home remedies (sugar, bleach, lemon-lime soda or aspirin) don’t work as well as the floral preservative and bacteria inhibitor that floral shops sell (and that usually comes with cut flowers).

Tulips can last for several days if they are properly cared for. Stems need to be cut (about 1‚Ñ2 inch) as soon as you arrive home. Then place in a vase with fresh water and floral preservative. Keep clean water in the vase, and stems should be recut every other day or so.

Here’s to beautiful, straight tulips! Heloise

Fast Facts

Dear Readers: Here are four handy uses for a plastic laundry basket:

•Keep one in the car to carry packages.

•Tie two together and use for an emergency pet carrier.

•Fill with necessities and give as a gift to a new college student or mom.

•Use as a “quick” toy chest for room-to-room pickup. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Many of us grew up with parents who had long been in the habit of reusing and recycling. I’m delighted to see that “going green” has made many of our hints and tricks more widely known.

I have a request for store managers, checkout clerks and baggers: Please don’t overfill those reusable grocery bags! Packing them full makes them too heavy!

I am not shy about asking to have them repacked and lightened, but that slows down the checkout line, which can be annoying for everybody. An Arizona Recycler, via e-mail

I’m with you on this. Why do they seem to pack all of the cans in one bag? Heloise

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: My Sound Off is that I recently hosted a bridal shower and wrote on the RSVP space: “Please call me at [phone number] to let me know whether or not you are coming.” How much clearer can that be? Still, I had no response from several people. If you are invited to a party, it is only common courtesy to let the hostess know if you will be attending or not! E.P., via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate