The Mystery of Plants

I've mentioned (many times) what a loser I am when it comes to gardening. I once killed a snake plant, a plant that is reputed to be virtually unkillable. Right now I have one dead poinsettia, one barely living poinsettia and a small plant on my kitchen window ledge, which I think is a relative of a violet, but it's suffering, too (it doesn't like the cold near the window, but I have no place other than that where it can get enough light and not be in the way. Hence, the dying poinsettias, which aren't getting enough light). Still, I keep thinking (hoping) that I'll someday be a plant person.

I think that part of the reason I have so few plants (besides my light problem) is because when I was young, a bestselling book was published called Plants are Like People. If I remember correctly, it advocated talking to your plants and playing music to them. For me (even though I never read the entire book), it led to lots of "plant guilt." If plants were like people, then I certainly had no business being in charge of them. (That snake plant incident weighs heavily on my mind, I guess).

Later, a book was published called The Secret Life of Plants, another book that discusses how amazingly similar to animals plants are.

And now, here's a video by Asap Science that asks the question Can Plants Think? More plant guilt for me. I'm off to water my plants (or give them less water, or more sun, or less sun or...the opposite of whatever I am currently doing). 

May your plant experiences be better than mine!

Myrna