Tips galore

•To keep squirrels out of a pole-mounted birdfeeder, liberally spray a cotton cloth with WD-40 lubricating oil and then wipe the pole with the cloth. Squirrels are good climbers, but even they won’t be able to climb that pole. Reapply every so often.

•”I have a small table at the corner in back of my shed. On the table, I put a large stand-up cooler, the kind with the spout at the bottom. Whenever it rains, I take the lid off the top, and rainwater comes off the roof of the shed to fill up the cooler. Then, I add powdered fertilizer and put the top back on. Until I empty it, I have a good, free supply of water to fill my water cans for the plants. And since it’s closed, I don’t worry about the insect problems that come with having standing water around.” — F.B. in Arkansas

•Did you know that you can clean your plastic shower curtain in the washing machine? Toss it in with a load of towels for a good scrubbing, then hang it back up right from the machine (no dryer cycle).