More Than We Realise

When I think on life, which I am doing quite often lately, I think on these things, and I am sad – “So many people, so much possibility, so many chances lost”.

All of us have the opportunity to reach out to help our fellow man. All of us too, can take actions to help rather than harm our wonderful planet, Earth, our only home. If we decide not to buy more, but properly utilise what we already have, that helps.

When we put on a jumper if cold, instead of putting on the heater, that helps. When we share our excess with others, whether for payment, barter, or simply by gift, that helps. The world is our basket and there is much there that we under utilise, misuse, ruin, trash.

Grow your own, a simple phrase, and until you begin doing it yourself you will never realise the thrill it is when you can grow your own food, dining on produce that you know has been grown with love and care. The food in the photographs is from my place, the spring onion grown inside, using the cut off root end of a purchased spring onion. Easy and fun to grow!

The herb in the other photograph is Purslane, which we grew last season, using a plant I found when I was visiting the Mallala Institute last year. Purslane is an interesting herb, with many uses, both culinary and medical. It has all died down now, and I hope and expect it will regrow in the same container next season, needing only the rain that falls from the sky, and an occasional watering at the appropriate time. I planted it and it grew and grew and grew! It provides a delightful crunch in any savoury meal.

Finding and using such produce can certainly help to save our health, by providing good healthy food, but also help the world, when home grown means there are zero food miles travelled to get a meal! Home-grown will always be winner, as far as I’m concerned, and as soon as my fractured ankle mends, I want to get out in the garden to see how the garlic is growing!