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I was working on the boulevard when a neighbour driving by pulled over to say: “Anything you need — just let me know.

Dear Tony: Our strata council has been contacted by several owners asking if the strata corporation can defer strata fees until people can get back to work. We are not sure what options we have.

Dear Helen: When is the best time to lift, divide and transplant a clump of rhubarb? V.L. March and October are the two preferred times for dividing and transplanting rhubarb.

Dear Debbie: I’d like to try a paint effect for the walls in our living room, but I am concerned that it will become out of date and be difficult to cover up. I have heard you joking about sponging, which I did in our nursery years ago.

Some of us, having long ago eschewed the dainty life, are fully engrossed these days in our gardens — digging and lifting, bending, kneeling and hauling as we weed, plant, prune, and tend compost heaps.

Dear Helen: What were the tiny white worms that infested my strawberries and raspberries last year? Is there a way to prevent a repetition of this damage? D.B.

Dear Tony: Our strata corporation is 125 units and we have an upcoming annual general meeting that is going to be critical, as we need to approve a significant increase in our budget to cover our insurance.

From the outside, this one-level bungalow in the suburban Saanich neighbourhood of Tanner Ridge looks like a typical 1980s-era builder’s special, with a double-car garage dominating its facade.

Dear Debbie: My teenage kids want to decorate the basement, which is their hangout, and do not want any input from me. We gave them a small budget to cover the cost of paint and a few necessities, such as oversized cushions.

Ongoing email conversations with readers constitute a significant perk of writing this column. Your comments and inquiries often launch me into a step-by-step mystery to be solved, puzzle-like, piece by piece.