Bents Home & Garden has launched an initiative called The Great Plant Experiment to find out whether plants respond to voices and emotions.
The experiment has been inspired by Nikki Owen, founder of The Charisma Model Programme and The Big Apple Experiment, and firm believer that negative emotion can be responsible for disengagement within the workplace. Ms Owen took two halves of an apple and, over a period of 14 days, directed only positive thoughts and emotions to one half and negative to the other.

The result was a significant change in the rate of decay between the two halves. Motivated by these findings, Bents has launched its own experiment to see if it works with plants.

The centre has set up an experimental bench in its Open Skies Glass House to subject two sets of plants to different emotions. Six plants will be 'loved' with kind words and happy thoughts, while another six will be 'hated' and subject to harsh words and negative thoughts. All other conditions including watering and fertilization will be exactly the same.

Said managing director Matthew Bent: "Prince Charles was given quite a lot of ridicule when it first emerged that he talked to his plants. But over the years research has been carried out to suggest that plants do actually respond to sound and vibration. We are now trying to discover whether emotion can have a similar effect."

The Great Plant Experiment will take place over a period of six weeks. Customers passing through the experiment zone will be invited to share their happy or sad vibes and contribute to the results.