sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Dear Helen: For many years I planted tomatoes and cucumbers in my garden. Now I am living in a south-facing apartment and want to grow them again, in containers. I was interested in your description of Sweet Success cucumber.

It’s Easter weekend. Children have been home for a long while, and families are delving in droves into their gardens. Growing food and cheery flowers has become a central focus in many lives.

Dear Debbie: I don’t have a lot of money to spend on art, but do love to take photographs of my garden and the budding cherry blossom trees in our back yard. How would you suggest framing them? I’m not interested in those cheap black plastic frames.

Dear Helen: My children, who have been home for a very, very long time, are in need of some diverting outdoor activity and have expressed an interest in growing some vegetables and flowers. Any suggestions for appropriate plants and projects? B.L.

Dear Tony: Our strata corporation is 118 units in the Fraser Valley.

Plaster walls are no longer common in today’s homes due to the rise in cost of building materials and labour. If you live in a home built before 1940, you will most likely have plaster walls and they have many good features.

Most of my friends, normally very busy people, suddenly have time on their hands. Exercise classes, book and bridge clubs, gathering places, locations where they volunteer — all shut down.

Dear Helen: This is normally a busy time at garden centres. What protocols are in place to keep customers safe in this time of physical distancing and COVID-19? G.L.

Dear Tony: Our strata had our annual meeting by restricted proxy and a simultaneous zoom meeting which worked very well. We had the largest participation ever.

Dear Debbie: In a corner of my condo is a cement pole, part of the condo building structure. I’ve painted it the same colour as the walls, but it needs more interest. I have no artistic ability, but I was thinking of stencilling.