My journey to reduce plastic and increase sustainability has encouraged me to make use of things I already have (repurposing) and use single items for multiple purposes (multi-purposing). Here are a few examples of multi-purposing.

Nature is the master of repurposing and multi-purposing. Letting a few plants go to seed is part of that sustainable cycle and generally the seeds will be better than shop bought as they have come from a plant already acclimatised to your conditions. Old plants can be cut up and composted along with kitchen scraps and lawn clippings.

Growing trees and other plants for their fruit AND for their wood or fibre has become a favourite endeavour of mine, especially when it comes to making shade and support structures. While bamboo and wooden stakes from the hardware store may be a better option than plastic or plastic coated steel (these break down and shed plastic fragments throughout the garden) I've also been able to save prunings from trees for smaller stakes. If a tree has died or is unwanted I'll use as much timber from it as possible before cutting the rest into small bits for composting.

The prunings from trees can also be used for weaving. Grape vine prunings are somewhat pliable after pruning and can be bent to make round shapes for items like baskets. Less pliable branches can be tied together with some fibre or plaited to make shade screens or smaller support structures.

Plants like corn and broad beans that have a thick central stem are great for training beans and other climbers, even once they're past producing.

We don't get much grass growth over the hot summers here in South Australia but around the pots the little bit of excess water helps the grass grow fast and long. I let it grow for a time, even if it looks a bit messy, and then cut it for drying in the hot sun. This gives me much needed hay for mulching around plants but also for draping over supports or branches to provide a bit more shade when needed. It's great to know that water runoff from pots, which is quite nutrient rich, is not being wasted.

Ultimately I would like to grow all I need to make my own shade structures to replace the plastic shadecloths we have come to rely on. Of course trees in their own right will often provide great dappled light for tender plants (olive trees are great for this) so I'm also moving things around to take advantage of that.

I love the way some plants will just appear in my garden pots, uninvited, but not unwelcome. These unintentional plantings, usually distributed with a little help from wind and birds or my home made compost, are fun to watch grow and mingle with those I have carefully nurtured into being. I usually leave them be, unless they possess those smothering traits or are too weedy for my liking. I think if they grow of their own will then they will quite likely survive, as just their presence suggests that they are happy in their situation, at least for the time being.

Similarly unintentional connections spring up from time to time in our lives, sometimes taking root and growing happily, nourished by the elements of the soul; love, reason and desire. Some will be picked out early, undoubtedly not compatible with their surroundings. Some will last for a season, enjoyed for a time, maybe sadly missed, but eventually gone. Some grow on to establish themselves firmly, quite content in their situation, quite bold in their influence, always admired.

I've become more interested in growing flowers recently. Formerly I've focussed largely on food plants, but I now appreciate more the joy that flowers can bring.

Two of my current favourites are the Alyssum and Dianthus. I love how the tiny flowers of the Alyssum are bunched in small communities that turn rather plain individuals into a cascading delight. And how the Dianthus petals are frilled almost like they have been torn from paper and often with a contrasting colour at the edge and center. Sometimes, like with the African Daisy, the uniqueness of a flower is what makes it more beautiful, but the stems and leaves of a plant can also make a difference. Leaf shapes and colours, along with stem height, can also have a marked influence on a flower's charm.

This year I am growing loofa (loofah or luffa). I was thrilled to find some seed which I planted in spring and now have two vines planted in a big pot and climbing up and over some bamboo stakes. Although they can be eaten at a younger stage I’m hoping to grow them on to eventually use as sponges. In Queensland I found them a great alternative to those nylon scouring pads which tend to shed little plastic bits when you use them (not great for our precious waterways!).

One afternoon I noticed these happy, bright yellow flowers on the vine and immediately took a photo, but it was mid-afternoon and the light was harsh so I thought to come back in the evening. At 8pm I remembered and thought the light would be perfect so went out to take some extra photos. To my disappointment the flowers had already fallen from the vine. Thankfully I at least had my photos from earlier.

The camera may capture those fleeting moments of beauty, but what grows in its place is what truly matters.

I have always enjoyed writing. I did well as a commercial copywriter and in my too much capitalist way of thinking I used to ponder how I might be able to make more money from words… a film script, a novel; all things to bring fame and fortune. As I’ve reassessed life and become content without striving for wealth, I’ve found writing in itself to be both healing and edifying. Writing still forms part of my professional life and provides income, but I also write just for my own fulfilment and pleasure.

I have in progress a novel length fiction that I’ve been working on for some years. Writing it has helped unwind, through its characters and events, some of the things I’ve struggled with in life. It’s deeply personal in parts so I don’t know if I'll ever be able to show it to anyone in its current form. But that doesn’t matter as writing it was/is such a satisfying endeavour that its best purpose has already been fulfilled.

I've not always been a fan of reading poetry though I have written many songs which are in essence rhyming poetry. More recently, a friend has shared some of her own "free-verse" poetry which I have enjoyed, in no small part thanks to her extraordinary talent with words.

However, at present I still prefer writing in a style with regular meter and rhyme. Perhaps that is just a familiarity thing, but there's also an element of fun and freedom in being able to write sentences that would likely otherwise look odd. For instance in normal prose I might write "Good morning", they said, but if I want the next line to rhyme with they I can write "Good morning", said they. It's sometimes like a word puzzle, getting your meaning across within the confines of meter and rhyme, but it's fun to bend convention that little bit just to make it work.

When I was just a wee little lad, full of health and joy... I wanted to be an All Black, one of the NZ Rugby Team. I was not physically cut out for the forwards, the bigger and stockier lads, but was quite suited for the faster pace out the back line. My hero at the time was Sid Going, Super Sid, a half back who could outrun most. I remember once as he rushed up the field, ball in hand, swerving this way and that around his opponents, the commentator shouted, "Going's going, going , going, GONE!" as he made the try (touchdown).

But as I couldn't live on rugby alone (rugby players had to have real jobs as well in those days), I also wanted to be fireman. At the ripe old age of 6,7 or 8 I didn't have too many concerns in life but being both a rugby player and fireman presented this huge dilemma for me. What if I was in the middle of a rugby game and there was a fire? Nowadays of course there is only one answer to that question. No game is more important than a person's life or even their home or livelihood. I've heard it said that in politics, business, religion, even relationships, you have to 'Play the game'. But we also need to step out and help those whose lives, homes and wellbeing are threatened by forces they have little control over... even if that means compromising 'the game'.

Life continues to impress on me the synergy between doing the best for our environment, doing our best for our health, doing the best for our happiness, doing the best for our community. One just has to start down the path of doing good for something and it inevitably leads to doing good in multiple areas.

For instance, using the car less and walking or cycling more benefits the environment with less pollution, our community with less noise and traffic, our health with essential exercise and our happiness with taking life at a more mindful pace.

Growing your own vegetables is good for your health both by providing fresher nutrition and keeping you active outdoors, provides numerous mental benefits and (done considerately) enhances our environment.

Living without many of our modern life conveniences is actually more convenient. Less stuff, means less manufacturing, less transporting, less time earning money to pay for it, less breakages, less rubbish, less stuff going to landfill. That's a huge win for our environment, relieves the stress of ownership (think insurance, theft, repairs, upgrades, disposal) and gives us more time to do important things, like garden.

Reducing, or eliminating, animal products and ultra-processed foods from our diets improves our environment, can improve your health and improves our relationship to all living creatures that we share this earth with.

A push reel mower uses fewer resources to manufacture than a petrol or electric mower, is cheaper to purchase, is easier to maintain, can be carried with one hand, emits no pollution and is much quieter to operate. The extra push effort is negligible in my opinion but that does depend on the type and length of grass and even if there is extra effort involved it's just another good workout for the body.

Diverting water from the washing machine outlet to the lawn or non-food plants can save hundreds of litres of water each week from not having to water plants with fresh tap water. Water is not only a resource in itself worth using sparingly, but our tap water uses energy and chemicals to process and distribute, all taking a toll on our environment.

So each time you make plans, go out, purchase something or do something around the home, do it mindfully of our natural environment and inevitably it will be better for you and your health and better for your community.