Talking To The Flowers

Someone recently asked me about whether I talked to my plants and I was a little surprised to immediately realise that I do. It is not in any conscious way, but I do find myself welcoming back my favourite flowers as they bloom each season, stroking their petals and telling them how much I appreciate their beauty. When I plant vegie seedlings, I often give them some vocal encouragement to grow strong and productive. Then, when I harvest the crop, I thank the plants for their bounty.

Does it make a difference to how they grow? It is not as if they can actually hear my voice, but perhaps they sense the benevolent vibrations. I remember reading some years ago about experiments with plants and music. Apparently, plants exposed to classical music thrived more than did those exposed to loud rock music or a continuous monotone. Mabe it is the vibrations that make the difference. Then again, maybe the classical music also appealed to beneficial insects, which preyed on the pests and kept those plants healthier.

Perhaps my appreciative remarks to the plants are more for my own benefit. Do they help me connect more with the plants and thus take better care of them than I might otherwise?

I don't have the answers, but it is interesting to speculate. Maybe an experiment is called for; one in which I yell at some plants and speak softly to others. Hmmm, I think this experiment should have been done when we lived on a farm, with no neighbours in earshot. It is not one for a backyard surrounded on all sides by other people.

Talking to the flowers is just another way to connect with the natural world, along with stroking petals and tree trunks, crushing aromatic leaves to sniff and sitting in quiet contemplation surrounded by flowers, perfumes, buzzing bees and bird song. If it turns out to have some real benefit to the plants as well, that would be another natural phenomenon to wonder at.

Today's photos feature some of the flowers I have been welcoming back this month. I hope they bring a little joy to your day.