46°F
weather icon Clear

Child’s pool makes great garden tool

DEAR HELOISE: For the past two years, I have used a child’s plastic swimming pool to tote leaves and other yard waste to the compost pile. I would not trade it for any wheelbarrow.

Simply cut a hole in the side of the pool, reinforce it with duct tape, tie a rope on it and you have a great garden tool. It slides easily over the yard and is easy to put items into. – Dorothy Howell, Potts Camp, Miss.

Foam dispenser

DEAR HELOISE: I love your column. I filled my foam soap dispenser per your advice. However, I need to let you know that you should not use any soap with particles in it. The little beads clog up the pump, and it will not work. They are difficult to remove. The soap needs to be clear. — Diana, via email

DEAR DIANA: You are right, and for others who want to do this, the ratio is 1 part soap to 5 parts water. — Heloise

Hints from Heloise is syndicated by King Features Syndicate. Send great hints to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; by fax, 210-HELOISE (435-6473); or by email, Heloise@Heloise.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
MORE STORIES
THE LATEST
What’s ailing my mature pine trees?

When native pine trees are grown on their own they will develop taproots or sinker roots for stability and to secure enough water.

Gaining control over this annual weed is not easy to do

To make sure it doesn’t return you have to interrupt the seed-to-flowering-plant cycle at least for a couple of years and fill the voids with something competitive.

Why did my bird of paradise plants quit blooming?

They were in bloom when we planted them five or six years ago, and they bloomed the following year as well. But they have not bloomed again.