Talking tomatoes

His precious toms have gone quiet, and as Toby tries to talk them back into action he fears he may go bananas…

- Toby Buckland

EVER seen a queue and felt compelled to join it, even if you weren’t sure what it was for? Silly question, you’re British! According to people-watchers (or anthropologists, as they’re properly known), conforming to ‘mob’ mentality – behaving differently to fit in with others – is normal.

This trait is why we might trust in politicians even when, deep down, we know they don’t represent our interests, and it’s why crowds of law-abiding individuals can behave anarchically.

Basically, we’re hard-wired to follow the pack, and it’s not just us humans. Plants do the same thing, although their mob-mentalism is easier to understand.

For years, gardeners believed that flowers opened and fruits formed at the whim of the weather. But science has shown that this is coordinated by the plants communicating with each other via chemical signals, or pheromones.