NeatSheets feature side pockets on both sides of the fitted sheet.

MCT

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Sheets get a makeover

Wouldn’t it be neat if bedsheets had pockets for your reading glasses, TV remote or some tissues for when you have the sniffles?

Now, they do.

NeatSheets, made by Everest Luxury Linens, have pockets on each side of the fitted sheet so that you no longer have to part with the things you like — or need — to keep close to you while you’re in bed.

There are three collections: Lifestyle, made from a 200-thread count cotton/poly blend; Classic, made from a 350-thread count Egyptian cotton; and Premier, made from a 600-thread count Egyptian cotton. And they come in three depths: standard is 7 to 10 inches deep; deep is 11 to 14 inches; and extra-deep is 15 to 18 inches.

Lifestyle sheets come in six colors and have a white satin ribbon trim on the top sheet and pillow cases. Classic sheets come in seven colors, and Premier sheets come in four. Both collections have color-coordinated satin ribbon trim on the top sheet and pillowcases.

And the pockets aren’t the sheets’ only special feature. A 3/4-inch elastic wraps around the perimeter of the fitted sheet, helping it stay in place while you sleep. The inside corners of the fitted sheets are finished with French seams. Smart Tags, labels that display the size of the sheets, are sewn on the corners at the foot of the fitted sheets, and on the hem at the foot of flat sheets. These tags allow sheet sizes to be seen even when they are folded in the linen closet.

Cost ranges from $39 to $199, and pockets are optional.

Details: (800) 632-8233 or neatsheets.com.

GARDEN

Soaked — not soggy — is the goal

Q. I am placing soaker hoses around my flower beds and shrubs, under the mulch. How long should I let them run?

A. It depends on water pressure and the soil. Loose soil that’s been lightened with compost will absorb water quickly and hold it without getting soggy. That is your first step as you prepare flower beds this spring.

With the soaker or seeper hoses in place under mulch, turn on the water and let it run for 15 minutes. Then stick a trowel into the soil and push it forward slightly to see how deep the water seeped. Run the water for another 15 minutes and test again.

Keep in mind that you want the water to seep slowly into the root zone of these plants and not create puddles and runoff. Shrubs, of course, have deeper roots than do most annuals and perennials.

You’ probably need to run the soakers for about 30 minutes, possibly 45, to get moisture at least 6 inches deep. Absent rainfall, it should be sufficient to do this once a week this spring, and perhaps twice a week once it gets hot and if rain diminishes.