From backyard veggie gardens to the monstera in your bedroom, plants enrich our lives and the world around us, which is why we’re beginning our new series with a celebration of good old fashioned gardens and the plants that make them.
The first thing many of us think of when it comes to a garden or plant is the common house plant—maybe you have a Pinterest board dedicated to fiddle-leaf figs, an herb garden on your fire escape, or just love a good spider plant for air purification. But when it comes to plants and gardens, there are all kinds. In fact, there are over 391,000 known species of vascular plants alone.
When gardening was first used, families primarily wanted to grow food close to where they lived — and to also protect themselves from others.
Food and safety, from others and from wild animals, were the primary reason for gardening, and anything that wasn’t edible was eliminated.
The strength of your garden was the strength of your defense from the outside world — and the source of your sustenance.
Eventually, these ancient gardeners started to add new species of fruits and veggies to their gardens — which added variety to their plots and their dinner tables.
It was only in 1500 BC that decorative gardens began to appear. The history of gardening and community is fascinating — from its role in community and connection to identity and lifestyle. And most recently, modernism from the art world has continued to infiltrate the world of gardening through its bold colors, forms and designs.
- 94% of the world’s vascular plants are flowering plants
- 2,000 new plant species are discovered each year
- Australia, Brazil, and China are the top threes sources for these new species, though unfortunately many of them are on the verge of extinction
- It’s an old tale that plants respond to sound, but there is some truth to it. Vibration, music, and even the sound of the human voice have been shown to help improve a garden’s growth. Don’t be shy — start talking!
- Located in Alnwick Garden in England, The Poison Garden is home to 100 toxic, narcotic, and intoxicating plants. The garden is kept behind locked iron gates and only available for visit on guided tours.
- The common spider plant is an evergreen plant known for its air cleaning properties. In fact, 15 spider plants would purify the indoor air of an entire house!
- About 31,000 species of plants have a documented use for humans—whether it be environmental, medicinal, materials, food, and more.
- In 2015, scientists discovered a tree in the Cameroon-Congolian rainforest weighing 105 metric tons (That’s over 231,000 lbs or 105,000 kgs!)
Priyanka's Picks
For me it would be Bio Protectant and Bio Insecticide as I am an avid gardener. I have a ton of vegetable beds, fruit trees and I like these two products to keep the health of my plants and the organic insecticide to keep away unwanted bugs.
Ryan's Picks
My favorite plant would have to be Fiddle Leaf Fig. The Arber product I use on my Fiddle Leaf Fig is the Bio Fungicide because of the risk of getting root rot.
Kalysta's Picks
Basil & Plant Food - There’s nothing like the smell of Basil & the smell of Arber’s Plant Food infused with rosemary oil for aromatherapy and antioxidant benefits.
