Dear Heloise: Here is what I do with coffee grounds in my 10-by-20-foot allotment garden. I use grounds from home and also pick them up from my local coffee shop. I dig them into my soil and put them around the base of my roses. I also put them in my worm bin; the worms love them, and it discourages mice from sneaking in.

One year, when I had a gopher invasion, I first killed the gopher with a trap, then dug out tunnels to where they crossed my fence line. I sealed off the points where the tunnels entered my garden with restaurant-sized coffee filters that were often included with the grounds. No more gophers! — Hedy W., in Laguna Woods, California

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Heloise@Heloise.com

STICKY SHELVES

Dear Heloise: I just read the hint from a parent whose kids leave sticky items on refrigerator shelves. If they are old enough to remove the items, they can put the item back after taking a wet cloth and wiping the container first. Mom taught me and my six siblings when we were young. I am going on 80.

I enjoy all your hints. Thanks for the column! — The Blonde Flamingo, via email

TELLING KIDS TO CLEAN

Dear Heloise: Your solution to M.R. in Oklahoma’s sticky refrigerator shelves seemed wasteful and time-consuming. Have the kids be more careful, have them wipe up after themselves, and put a large tray on each shelf. — J.T., in Iowa

J.T., in a perfect world, all children would be only too happy to comply. Unfortunately, in real life, most won’t wipe down the sticky jar. (That’s the voice of experience speaking.) You can keep after your kids until they drive you crazy or line the refrigerator shelves with plastic designed for this purpose. You can find them online or in many grocery stores. The shelf liners can be wiped, washed and dried, then returned to the refrigerator. — Heloise

WEDDING DAY BLUES

Dear Heloise: I always have a problem when outfits (such as the wedding that was described in a recent column) charge one price for a person, then only half of this price for an attending spouse/guest/plus-one. Does this mean that the second person can only eat half of what the single person eats since they only paid half price?

I understand that the hostess is trying to make it affordable for couples (who, by the way, probably make more money than a single person). But it just never seems fair. I’m sure the hostess does not mean to offend and has never thought about it this way. — Bobbie P., in Santa Ana, California

Bobbie, personally, I don’t think the price they charge for a guest to attend their wedding is as important as the fact that they charge people to come. A couple is supposed to have a wedding within their budget. If they can’t afford a big, splashy wedding, then they should tailor it to what they can afford.

And charging half price for the plus-one does not make the situation any better. Sorry, but charging a guest to attend a wedding is inappropriate. However if you do pay to attend a wedding, be sure to take a doggie bag along and eat as much as you want! — Heloise