Okay, so when you’re bored you Google stuff. None of this is information I have come up with myself, but it is just a bit of fun to collate some of the best facts we could come up with to brighten the day of anyone who may want to jot them down and claim them as their own at a cocktail party.
We WILL have cocktail parties again; Dan can’t keep us indoors forever! Ahem, anyway, so here’s some of my favourites!
1. Most indoor plants come from the tropics. I mean, if that isn’t obvious by the fact they can survive in your house when 1 bazillion years ago houses didn’t exist but plants did, then I don’t know what is. Most of your indoor shade lovers used to grow under the canopies of larger, more resilient plants, so they were outdoors but also undercover at the same time!
2. Plants can help in the workplace. Look, I had been telling my boss this for years before I became my own boss and stopped letting someone tell me I couldn’t have plants on my desk! Plants like Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum) actually HELP to reduce noise pollution such as copiers and Karen talking about her weekend dinner party with her 12 cats (sorry Karen, I also have a lot of cats so who am I to judge you). They not only help with noise pollution, but with air pollution too.
3. Our planet has over 80,000 species of edible plants, yet 90% of what we consume only comes from about 30 of them! So, if you want to try something different, there will always be a veggie you may not have heard of out there. Just don’t eat those mushies you found in the field, they *may* not be edible.
4. 68% of plant species are at risk of becoming extinct. Plants are very vulnerable, where unlike animals or humans, they simply can’t get up and walk away when their environment is threatened. If we don’t help them, they will simple stop existing. We aren’t even talking hundreds of years here, either. This is a shockingly sad and harsh reality for many species of vegetation. Because of us, plants are going extinct about 5,000 x quicker than they would if we didn’t interfere, this includes deforestation and mass builds.
5. Ever wondered where vanilla comes from? No, not the $1.80 Coles imitation – the real deal! Vanilla actually comes from Orchids. You can find vanilla pods inside the Vanilla planifolia, which is a stunning type of Orchid.
6. More than 85% of our plant life is found in the OCEAN! Yeah, that’s right, with all the sharks and octopuses n’ shit. No thanks, I’ll stick to the ones from nurseries where I can’t get eaten, cheers.
7. According to scientists (and me, not as smart but still can confirm) the smell of freshly cut grass releases endorphins and actually helps with stress relief. Before you ask – yes, I am talking about the grass that grows on your lawn that you hire Jim’s Mowing to snip down to length…
8. Plants recognise their own siblings, giving them preferential treatment and not encroaching on their root space. Which is insane, because I recognise my siblings too and they don’t do any of that for me… Guess plants are just better than people!
9. Plants don’t like human noise! That’s fine, I personally don’t either. They do however respond to music, and positive reinforcement. SO they like noise if it’s bangers or you being nice to them…which are also sounds I respond well to.
10. Gardening is cathartic. Well, duh! I get lost pruning, propagating, watering, fertilizing and whispering sweet nothings to my plants all the time What isn’t to love about it? BUT from a real, profesh scientific viewpoint, this is the truth. They also help with memory retention and help you to think more clearly. BRB, getting more plants!
These were some of my faves, from numerous sources on the internet. The deeper you dig, the more abstract these facts get, but these are hand selected favourites we wanted to share with you all!
Thanks for reading! Email us at hello@talkdirt2me.com.au or through the website if you have any questions or would like to chat.
K
