People: Will she rally in the Nic of time?

Life back on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” set after the long writers’ strike has given Nicollette Sheridan a major headache, thanks to the flowers lining the show’s Wisteria Lane.

They have caused her allergies to flare up.

“Excuse me,” she says with a sniffle, before referring to herself as “Benadrylhead.”

After sneezing, Sheridan regains composure and leads a stroll down the cul-de-sac where her character, Edie Britt, lives.

She passes her director’s chair with “Naughty Nic” on it – a gift from co-star and friend Eva Longoria Parker.

Before the strike, a devastating tornado’s effects blinded Carlos Solis (Ricardo Chavira), who had just ended a romance with Edie and returned to ex-wife Gabby (Longoria Parker). As their lives seemed in jeopardy, Edie and Gabby clung to each other in a crawl space, somehow managing a reconciliation.

But the cattiness is back on, with Carlos taking on a seeing-eye dog, and Edie arriving on the Solises’ front steps with a box of dog biscuits – for Gabby.

“There is something tragic going on that Edie knows about,” Sheridan says of the show’s return on April 13. “She gets to the bottom of the truth regarding a certain love triangle, and of course, she must enlighten others.”

Her own love life benefited from the strike. Besides being free to voice a prairie dog for the upcoming animated “Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning”, she got to spend two months with fiance Michael Bolton on his European tour.

In Poland, Sheridan was invited to take the stage. But rather than duet with Bolton, she did some impromptu stand-up comedy.

“And it went over quite well,” she says – so well that she’s writing a script for a TV comedy she hopes to produce.

Not so funny is the question Sheridan has had to endure since accepting Bolton’s proposal in March 2006: So, when will you get married?

“Who specified that there is some sort of limitation on an engagement?” she retorts.

Over the holidays, the couple vacationed in St. Barts with Bolton’s three daughters, Isa, Holly and Taryn, ages 29 through 33.

“I love children,” Sheridan says. “And I’m looking forward to having my firstborn when I’m 70.”

Still, she’s not ruling out a wedding someday.

“It’s not out of need for us,” she says. “It will be out of desire for having that ceremony happen when there isn’t too much going on so that we can enjoy it.”

That probably rules out this summer. After “Housewives” wraps Season 4 in May, it will start shooting Season 5 in June.

Sheridan expects to return despite rumors Edie might die. Creator Marc Cherry says only that something “shocking” will happen to her.

Asked point-blank whether Edie will expire, Sheridan rolls her eyes comically.

“These househags have done terrible, terrible things to Edie,” she says. “There will only be one moment of true revenge, when all of them are gone and Edie remains!”

The birthday bunch

Actor William Daniels (“St. Elsewhere”) is 81. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 74. Actress Shirley Jones is 74. Musician Herb Alpert is 73. Actor Christopher Walken is 65. Comedian Gabe Kaplan (“Welcome Back Kotter”) is 63. Actress Rhea Perlman (“Cheers”) is 60. Actor Ed Marinaro (“Hill Street Blues”) is 58. Actor Ewan McGregor is 37. Rapper Tony Yayo is 30.