Dear Heloise: Why do people send flowers to a funeral? The person they’re sent to is dead and can’t appreciate their beauty. After the funeral, the flowers are usually dumped on top of the grave or thrown out. I believe it’s far more important to send flowers while someone is alive and can look at them or show them off to friends.

To that end, I usually send flowers when someone in my family graduates school, when someone gets engaged, or because it’s some kind of holiday. It’s mainly to let them know I’m thinking of them.

— Martha D., Southfield, Michigan

Martha, it’s a great idea to send flowers to people who can appreciate the thoughtful gesture. While flowers at a funeral are nice, and the family usually enjoys them, it’s also nice to see some type of recognition for other events by receiving flowers or a plant.

— Heloise

EVERGREENS no more

Dear Heloise: We have a large lot, several acres in fact, and at the back of our property are some beautiful evergreens (Christmas trees). Last Christmas, someone came onto our property and helped themselves to three of them. These were perfect pines that we loved. Now they’re only stumps! How can we prevent this from happening again this year?

— Carol and Kevin, in Montana

Carol and Kevin, you can spray orange, purple and yellow tempera paint on the trees. The paint will wash off during the next rainfall, but it will also discourage poachers from stealing your trees. The pines will look odd for a short time, but at least you’ll have your beautiful trees. You can find tempera paint in any art store.

— Heloise

TUNG OIL

Dear Heloise: What is tung oil? We just refinished the floors of an old Victorian home, and a historian told us to refinish the floors in tung oil.

— Ava T., in San Francisco

Ava, it is a finish for floors that many people use instead of polyurethane. Most oils for floors are actually a mixture of different products to help them dry faster and remain durable. However, a good tung oil will last for a long time between reapplications and give you a deep luster.

— Heloise

LINSEED OIL

Dear Heloise: I love my fireplace, but after years of use in our 1934 house, the brick has actually gotten pale. I suspect it’s because it’s been cleaned so often that much of the color is gone or bleached out from sunlight. Is there any way to restore some of the color to the brick?

— Angie R., Lincoln, Nebraska

Angie, yes, there is. First, clean the brick and let it dry completely. Next, paint on the brick a thin coat of boiled linseed oil. This should restore your brick to, or very near, its original color.

It’s best to do this in warmer weather and let the oil really sink into the brick.

— Heloise

Send a great hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.