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Getting on the property ladder is becoming harder for many, but it’s especially difficult for young people just starting out.

Dear Tony: How can a strata corporation manage its common facilities, given recent restrictions and increased risks of COVID-19 transmission? Our strata is a high rise in the Okanagan with a number of Airbnbs that are still being used, and has severa

The chill and damp of November and its dark, shortened days are bound to turn the attention of even the most avid gardener to the indoors, and to house projects put to the side as we cavorted in the summer garden.

It is a universal truth that flowers make us happy. The buds, the blooms, the colour splash, the fragrance enrich our senses, lift our spirits and alleviate stress. That is powerful.

Dear Helen: My mint patch has failed. The leaves became marred by brown spots and discoloured patches. I drink mint tea often and use the leaves liberally in cooking. The only garden space I have for mint is a tiny plot in my seniors’ village.

Many home landscapes include plants, mainly trees and shrubs, that resident gardeners treasure for their display of vivid colour in the fall. These plants declare the winding down of an active growing season.

The fireplace is a symbol for so many warm feelings and thoughts. It’s the place where we gather to reminisce, share information, make plans. The heat from the flames soothes us and the flickers mesmerize.

Dear Helen: I’ve heard that certain salvias are among the best plants for attracting and nourishing hummingbirds. Which ones, in your opinion, are the most effective for this purpose? L.B.

In the garden, as in life, one thing often leads to another — and then another.

“Eccentric … well, maybe I am, but never, never boring.