Homes

TORONTO — If you’re stuck in a style rut and primed for a home makeover, it can be daunting to choose from the seemingly endless range of colours, furniture options and finishes available to create a cohesive look.

Dear Tony: Our strata corporation has $350,000 invested in GICs with an investment brokerage. We have used the same company for the past five years and are very satisfied with the returns and the management of our funds.

Dear Helen: This winter, I’d like to try cutting a few stems from some of the early-blooming shrubs in the garden to see whether they will flower in a vase of water. What is the best time to gather the stems? A.F. Dear A.F.

An oft-repeated mantra in the real estate world is location, location, location. It’s usually a winning refrain.

Dear Reena: There is a hazy film that covers the windows of my car. I have washed them with window cleaners but the film always comes back. What can I use to end this? Jeannine Dear Jeannine: Many car experts use rubbing alcohol to shine car windows.

The 2015 Seed Savers Exchange catalogue of heirloom seeds celebrates 40 years of “Passing on our garden heritage.” Diane Ott Whealy, co-founder, says “It all started with Grandpa Ott’s morning glories,” whose seed pods she helped gather as a child.

Dear Debbie: We enjoy DIY projects and are looking for some fresh ideas for storage or shelves in our kids’ bedrooms.

Dear Tony: We have seen a few articles and interviews on the new organic waste requirements. Our strata corporation is a 32-unit apartment building with no underground parking. Our rental building was converted to condos in 1975.

Dear Helen: I’d like to delve into the colourful world of calla lilies. I’ve admired these beautiful flowers in pots and want to try a few.

With 20 more pages than last year, more than 150 new items and expanded amounts of gardening information, the 2015 West Coast Seeds Gardening Guide is better than ever.