My neighbor calls me the bee and bird whisperer. I unconsciously murmur to both when they're near me while I'm working.

I've never talked to plants, lol.

Heck yes, talking to bees and birds counts- today I found myself apologizing to a bumble bee because I disturbed her while weeding. And gossiping with a black capped chickadee while weeding out my mint bed because it was so brave to hang out on the feeder while I was right underneath.

And for sure cussing weeds counts. I totally swore at some weeds I don't even know what they are and some wild carrot today for growing too much into my parsley hedgerow- and being darn stubborn about leaving the area.

I find that my garden talks to me more than I talk to it. It always wants this and that done asap, nag, nag, nag. So I make the garden jealous by talking to my chickens.

Cute thread! And oh gosh, yes! All the time, but especially at transplanting, when I give the transplants a little pep talk, and near or at harvest, when I praise the plant for a job well done. I also talk to the birds, insects, worms, whatever, in the garden, and have been known to cuss out the groundhog. Weeds, not so much ... I like weeding; its' a very meditative activity.

So glad to learn I'm not the only one.

I don't talk to the plants, but I do talk to myself. The garden is the place I do my deep thinking in the spring and summer, the place I detox out my frustrations, and try to come up with solutions. Somehow, I feel like having my hands in soil and nursing plants and watching them reward me with new growth brings out the compassion in me, and makes me more forgiving towards everyone else around me! Amazing what a garden and a cup of earl grey with 1 sugar and a sunset can do!

All the time) I talk to them as you talk to babies, that can't answer, but sure happy to hear you) . The last words for particular plants before I move to the next bed - be good, grow well)

"grow dammit grow!" is what I say.

I give pep talks. "Come on, you can do it, give me lots of fruits !" To seeds that just poked above the soil, "You're up ! Yay !"

Does swearing at squirrels count? How about cursing at chipmunks? Or the yelping and flailing I do when the robins go all kamikaze on me?

I find myself coaching the peppers & tomatoes in late summer... "frost is only a couple weeks away, you better start getting ripe!" The jury is still out on how effective my botanical motivational speeches are. And I admit, sometimes the pole beans look so wonderful that I feel the need to thank them. ;-)

I admit to thanking the tree when I pick a ripe lemon. I'm not crazy, I'm just polite...

It's usually..."Why are you doing this to me!?"

I'm a softie. I'm always crooning, and praising, and encouraging my veggies and berries. I'm particularly talky with the blackberry bushes, which I love because they are prickly and vibrant and cannot be contained. I love those qualities in people and in plants

Oh yes, I thank plants when I pick fruit or any sort of vegetation... I don't say much the rest of the time..

I talk to the animals! Not much to the plants but sometimes I'll comment on how pretty they are. :) I do hum to myself in the garden though.

Today I was moving some pots around... and there was a toad! Startled me for him to pop up like that, so I told him "Geez you scared me little toad, let me get a house for you". Because he was up on my railing, and would cook in the sun in about an hour or so- I have no idea how he got up there, but I got him a toad house, put a chunk of nice moist moss in it and set it next to him. Told him to enjoy his new home and within minutes, he was snug in his house, and I could go back to moving pots again without fear of squashing him :)

I talk to my plants. Years ago I read a study where 2 sets of plants were treated to the same conditions. However, one set was talked to and the other was silent. The ones that were spoken to grew larger. For real. I'm sure it was a whole bunch of baloney, but that's the excuse I give. I also talk to my ladybugs...

My husband tells me I call my seedlings "kids." As in, "Well, hey there kids. How are you doing?" :) Oh well.

This is fun to read.:) Each time I plant something I say "(name of plant) please come grow in my garden." When I'm planting with my grandkids in the little plots I've made for them at their homes, we say it together and it's a fun little ritual (ages 2 and 3). Also, I express a lot of gratitude, maybe wordlessly, as the garden grows and looks amazing, and produces. I also seem to remember a few cheering sessions, like when something peeks up over the soil, as in "Yay! you look marvelous!"

Katie, I remember that study from ages ago. Would be interesting to google if anything has been replicated and researched in a way that would -- no pun intended -- hold water.

My mom visited Findhorn in the 80's, so it runs in the family.