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IFloral treats for the homel @Did you know that in Europe people buy flowers almost as often as they do bread, the mainstay in life? It's true--the florist shop is as much a shop­ ping stop as the bakery. We in America increasingly recognize the value of flowers in our lives. In these inflationary times, the pleasure derived from a few chosen blooms is still a bargain, one that makes us feel WszMSs voar Ghdden GALLON REG '14.99 •MflE *4.00 GALLON REG M7 99 GNMmKST Latex Semt-Gtoss Enamel _ FOX VALLEY ARTS A PAINTS 1310 RIVERSIDE DR. McHENRY PAGE 14 - PLAINDEALER • luxunous. F.T.D., the floral organiza­ tion that invented sending flow­ ers out-of-town, has a Con­ sumer Information Service which offers these tips to make your floral purchases more en­ joyable . • The search for freshness: Older flowers develop a sweetish, fragrant odor, so trust your nose. Buy roses that are either buds or just beginning to unfurl their petals, and red roses should not have a blueish tint, nor pink roses a brownish tint. Carnation buds should be tight and firm. When open, there should be no brownish tint on the edge of carnation petals. All flowers with visible cen­ ters, such as pom pons and daisies, should have tight cen­ ters in bright hues--if the cen­ ters are more open or turning brown, the flowers are not fresh. Stems should not be soggy from being in water too long, and foliage should be heal­ thy and green. • Extending the life of your flowers: Unwrap flowers im­ mediately. Cut them individu­ ally on a slant with a sharp knife-- never with scissors, which can bruise and close the cell system of the stem so that it can't drink water. In the case of woody stems, such as chrysanthemums, lilac, dogwood or forsythia, pound ihc stems with a hammer. Roses are special --as you cut sach stem, immediately put the flower into the container of wa­ ter. Should it droop, cut it again. Always strip foliage that would be below your water line in the container--otherwise the leaves will create bacteria. Your container should be clean enough todrink from, and the water for the flowers must always be tepid--not hot and not cold, because it is extremes that kill fragile flowers. FRIDAY. MARCH Zt. 1M1 There are rules to arranging flowers when you want a formal arrangement, but none when it comes to arranging flowers in your home-- with one excep­ tion. Don't crowd flowers in acon- tainer; they need room to breathe. Ane never, but never, put thenraear a source of heat if you want them to give you the pleasure of their full lifespan. Don't put them on top of the TV, or under a lamp, or in a sbuthern window, if you've lowered your house tempera­ ture, you're ahead of the game in all ways. When you buy flowers, a small investment will buy a package of floral preservative, which will extend the life of your flowers considerably when added to their water. Ideally, you should re-cut the stems on a slant everyday and change the water completely, adding new preservative each day. But, if your schedule doesn't permit that routine, you should certainly add fresh water each day. As flowers die, remove the dead ones, since they exude a gas that is detrimental to the liv­ ing blooms. It's possible with a large number of flowers, pluck­ ing the faded ones each day and restructuring the good ones, to change the life of an arrange­ ment each time, perhaps ending up after a couple of weeks with only a single flower--as much a joy as ever! If you want to give the plea­ sure of flowers to someone dis­ tant, your F.T.D. florist can send them just about anywhere in the world. You must have the complete address of the recipient and should allow enough time for delivery. It's also wise to give a second choice in case your first selection isn't available in the distant city. Small washer tub-- answers a big need Who can deny the truth in this laundry theorem--"The most urgently needed items of cloth­ ing will appear only after the week's laundry has been done." When General Electric first introduced the Mini-Basket® feature, it was unaware of this basic law. However, homemak- ers have found that this small tub, which fits inside the regular washer tub, is ideally suited to doing those last few undiscov- ered-until-too-late items. Having discovered this happy accident, GE has expanded the use of the Mini-Basket con tainer so this popular feature is available in a wide choice of washing machines--from a single-speed, standard capacity washer to the most featured model. The Mini-Basket container also offers a way to wash those small loads you don't want to mix with other items, such as black socks. With the Mini- Basket container, you can do these special jobs, use less de­ tergent and less water than in the low water level setting of the washer's big tub. SMALL SOILED ITEMS OF CLOTHING are ofteafound attar the laundry load has been washed. And if the HfUli^JiM-ovty in needed right away, the Mini-Basket small wash container from General Eleetric is on hand to help ont. In fart, the Mini-Basket eontainer that slips over the washer's agitator uses less water than the larger tub's low water level setting. McHenry County Well & Pump Co. • Well Drilling • Jet Pumps • Submersible Pumps • All Type of Pump Ports WE 20% OFF Falflo-Wattr Filter COMPLETE WELL DRILLIN6 SERVICE 3200 Richmond Rd. (Rte. 31 North) 815-385-5252 McHenry * Captive Air Tonics * Water Filters * Softeners • Ground Water Heat Pumps • Sump Pumps • Water Conditioners SERVICE ALL BRANDS Gas Only Hot Water Heaters 30 to 50 Gal. 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