In the 70s I read 'Supernature' by Dr Lyall Watson

white_elephant, Jan 27, 8:56pm
ever since then I have believed plants have feelings and when the hose can only reach so far in this dry weather I feel sorry for the un-watered. Do the watered plants and trees feel for their un-watered mates? I suppose I sound quite mad.
venna2, Jan 27, 9:35pm
No, I don't think you are mad. There have been other books written about this - one well-known one whose name escapes me just now.

I googled. It's 'The Secret Life of Plants' by Thompkins and Bird. It's many years since I read it, and there have undoubtedly been further books and research since then. Maybe plants don't 'feel' in the sense that mammals do, but it seems there's definitely something going on.
groovie1, Jan 27, 9:47pm
Oh my, I read that too. If memory serves me plants like a chat, they're sensitive to their bed mates and to your thoughts so its a wonder my fence crunching wisteria and my 3 x 40 feet trees that are way too close to the house haven't fallen over dead. In all seriousness though much of what he wrote he backed up with scientific experiments. Fascinating.

edit 'foot'
venna2, Jan 28, 12:52am
Just one thought, though, re what you say about watered plants feeling sorry for their unwatered mates . do you think they understand that some plants are WEEDS and we don't want them? For instance, I have no intention of watering the convolvulus coming over the fence . Do my marigolds think I'm mean?
white_elephant, Jan 29, 12:34pm
Gosh venna2, hadn't thought of that. lol
summersunnz, Aug 15, 12:48am
I wonder about what they think/feel too. always choose to look after them to the best of my ability, feed and water them well. they certainly respond to that with growth that's much stronger, with fruit / vegetables / flowers / leaves that are stronger, larger, more flavoursome, keep better. to me, the proof is there in the result.