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As winter makes its lamentably slow departure, many of us will be scrambling to catch up on projects usually accomplished in February. Here are a few to consider. • Pruning.

Dear Reena: Can you please provide me with a recipe for homemade Caesar salad dressing? Ben Into a bowl combine: 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp anchovy paste (optional), two Tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled), 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershir

What makes a house or an apartment a home? For some of us, home is a walk-up apartment that we share with a roommate or two. For others, it might be a centre-hall house on a leafy suburban street, or a modern glass box overlooking the sea.

As the weather improves and our winter hibernation ends, the urge to refresh and renew a room or two often follows. It may be as simple as adding a few new decorative items or changing a worn-out piece of furniture.

Ultra-luxe, energy-efficient, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired house in West Vancouver is owned by clean-tech entrepreneur Mossadiq Umedaly

Dear Helen: I’m looking for a strongly fragrant petunia for growing on my deck, next to the doorway into the house. I’ve heard ‘Evening Scentsation’ is it. Your opinion? C.B.

Dear Tony: Our strata council has decided to shut down our swimming pool and hot tub for the next three months to save money.

The most frequent emails I receive regarding home design and decorating come from people who are looking for ideas that fit their budgets. The other challenge is how to decorate when you are a renter.

This is the second in a two-part series on salvaging and reusing houses on the Island.

For keen year-round gardeners, February was a bit of a bust. Almost three weeks of frozen ground buried in piles of snow made any kind of gardening impossible. It’s been a shock.