Come fire or tempest, or rain, hail or shine, our lives are shaped – often defined – by the elements. How to thrive in the face of uncertainty, cope with extremes, respect and protect our world – these are the big elemental issues. In Issue 13, we go gardening in the tropics and the alps, marvel at the best regional architecture for diverse climates, search for art in the desert, get obsessed about spuds and add (a lot) of salt to our greens. Plus there’s lots more Galah-inspired ideas, art, books and gardens (and spuds).