Now that spring is here avid gardeners will be keen to get their hands amongst the good earth. However, some may be unaware of hidden secrets ranging from soil bacteria which boosts the mood to flowers that trick insects.
Dirt makes you happy – really, it does: The rich, earthy smell of spring soil is apparently caused by a compound called geosmin. Studies have shown that inhaling naturally occurring Mycobacterium vaccae, bacteria in garden soil, stimulates the brain to produce serotonin which acts as a natural mood booster. No wonder gardeners often seem so cheerful!
Deceptive sunflowers: Who knew that the sunflower isn’t a single blossom? The massive fuzzy centre is actually a collection of 1000 to 2000 individual flowers, each destined to become a seed.
Not so deaf after all: Next time you’re in the garden turn on the music because it seems plants can actually ‘hear’. Research has found that vibrations from gentle noises such as humming or music can positively affect plant growth and stimulate seed germination.
Unhappy endings: Popular as indoor or greenhouse plants, Tropical Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes) feature modified, hanging leaves shaped like cups or tubes, hence the name ‘pitcher’. Lured by the plant’s sugary nectar, insects lose their footing on the waxy inside, and fall into a digestive fluid. Not a happy ending.
The early bird catches – a mate: With the arrival of spring, treed gardens will likely resound with the joy of a ‘dawn chorus’. Yes, in early spring, our male feathered friends sing their hearts out to claim territory and to attract mates. In the calm and cool air of dawn, their melodic calls can travel up to 20 times further than they would during a noisy afternoon.
Underground mini zoos: The earth is teeming with life – in the soil that is. There are more micro-organisms in a single teaspoon of healthy soil than there are human beings on the entire planet – mind-boggling!
