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Dear Helen: How do I know when it鈥檚 the right time to gather seeds from the large pods left on my peony-flowered annual poppies? P.K. There are several sure indicators of the seeds being ready for harvesting.

In August, parts of the garden inevitably begin to look a bit weary. Yet much remains to look forward to. There will be flowers to cut, fruits to gather and savour, process and store away.

Dear Tony: Our strata council is trying to cut corners on cost this year as we have experienced dramatic increases in our insurance costs.

Dear Helen: Why does the fragrance in some flowers seem to turn on and off? Examples are roses, sweet violets, daphnes and petunias that are powerfully scented only at certain times over the bloom season. R.M.

Dear Debbie: I inherited a few pieces of furniture from my aunt鈥檚 mid-century modern collection when she drastically downsized to a tiny apartment.

Dear Helen: My cauliflower plants grew well and I鈥檇 harvested one head by mid-month, but the head on one plant turned purplish. Does this colouring render the cauliflower harmful to eat? H.L. That鈥檚 been a common issue this year.

Dear Tony: We purchased two older units next to each other in September of last year with the intention of combining them into one larger unit for our family.

As I was working in the front garden recently, people passing by stopped to ask about flowers blooming on the boulevard.

In an era when bungalows and ranchers are constantly being razed and monster mansions springing up in their stead, an Uplands couple decided to move in a different direction.

Are you feeling wild today? Want to take a peek into homes where plants rule? It鈥檚 a mindset that Hilton Carter, passionate lover of all things green and author of Wild Interiors, Beautiful Plants in Beautiful Spaces, CICO Books 2020, explores and pr