Do plants have ears?

I’ve always been pretty green-fingered but strangely I don’t do at all well with houseplants. I can never seem to keep them alive. Which is less than ideal .

Just as well I was nowhere near Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house last week.

It reopened and performed its first concert since the coronavirus lockdown began, to a rather special audience. One that didn’t have to wear masks or worry about social distancing.

Instead of people, the UceLi Quartet played Giacomo Puccini’s "I Crisantemi"  to 2,292 plants, one for each seat in the theatre.

Just look at them sitting there all lush and green and receptive!

The event was conceived by Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia, who said he was inspired by nature during the pandemic

“I heard many more birds singing. And the plants in my garden and outside growing faster. And, without a doubt, I thought that maybe I could now relate in a much intimate way with people and nature,” he said before the performance.

At the end of the eight-minute concert, the sound of leaves and branches blowing in the wind resonated throughout the opera house like applause. How wonderful is that?

Even more lovely is that all the plants were donated to healthcare professionals from the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona to help create a space for them to relax in.

Plants and flowers have such a positive impact on our physical and emotional health.

Try and get out into nature this weekend if you can. It will make you feel better.

Queen Marie x