One item you're almost guaranteed to see out on hard rubbish day is a sad ironing board. I inherited one with a crumbling top and a burnt cover, so I turned it into a height-adjustable plant bench for my balcony using reclaimed pallet wood.

A seed snail is a rolled up piece of plastic or paper filled with soil and seeds. Learn how to propagate using this easy and space-saving method.

The days of reaching for a chemical spray every time a weed pops up are thankfully fading. We now know the damage those products can cause to fauna, our soil and our waterways. Glyphosate, one of the most common herbicides, has been linked to cancer and shown to harm pollinators. And when toxins leach into the water system, it affects all of us. 

So, what’s the alternative?

There’s something very satisfying about watching a tomato plant grow all the way from a tiny seed to a delicious fruit.

If you’re in Melbourne, late winter to early spring (August–September) is the perfect time to sow tomato seeds indoors. You don’t need a bigbackyard—just a warm windowsill, a few recycled containers, and a little patience.