Gardening

 

When was the last time you were in a garden?

What are some advantages of having your own garden?

Think of:

• 5 things you can see in a garden
• 2 things you can smell in a garden
• 3 things you can taste in a garden
• 4 things you can do in a garden

How many words can you think of about the following:

• garden tools
• parts of a garden

Remember the verbs from the video and say what you do with the following tools:

mower - spade - watering can - gloves - rake - trowel - bucket - hose

What can you do with / in these parts of a garden?

hedge - patio - flowerbed - shed - path - shrub - lawn - greenhouse

1. Is gardening popular where you live?
2. What are the most popular plants and flowers to grow in a garden?
3. What are some popular vegetables and fruits?
4. Does anyone from your family have a garden? How much time do they spend gardening?
5. What sayings do you know about gardening and nature?

What are the stages of a garden plant life cycle?

Put the stages of a plant's life cycle in order

• The plants turn into compost. 
• You sow the seeds. 1
• The plants bloom. 
• You pick the fruit. 
• The seeds germinate. 
• The shoots grow. 
• The plants make fruit. 
• Bees pollinate flowers. 
• The plants drop fruit. 

True or False?

1. This video is about planting herbs in a garden.
2. It teaches us how to grow garden plants from seeds.
3. Parsley is a member of an onion family.
4. It's a good idea to reuse old compost.
5. Your container should have holes in the bottom for drainage.
6. The presenter says it takes about three weeks for parsley seeds to germinate.
7. You have to keep the soil dry for parsley to germinate.
8. Mint is the easiest to grow because it's very frost-resistant.
9. Growing mint on a windowsill is a good idea.
10. If you pop mint stems into water, they will start to grow roots.

🌹My ideal garden

Imagine your ideal garden. Talk about it using the prompts:

• I step out of my door. In front of me ...
• On my right ...
• On my left ...
• Opposite me ...
• Behind my house ...
• I can hear ...
• I can smell ...
• What I can do is ...

🌹Nature idioms and sayings.

Finish the sentences with these words:

bush - hills - mud - cliffhanger - mountain - forest - rock - ice

1. I thought it was clear as glass but maybe it was as clear as _______________.
2. A second season aired eight episodes, ending with a ___________________.
3. Summer's approaching, and the time is right to head for the ________.
4. I don't want to make a _______________ out of a molehill. I want to sound realistic and sober.
5. Sometimes, you cannot see the _______________ for the trees, and the tendency to dig your heels in can become overwhelming.
6. Instead of saying exactly what you feel about the soon-to-be-crowned Republican nominee, you chose to beat around the _____________.
7. I was between a _____________ and a hard place financially. I had to save money on everything.
8. It's a good conversation piece - something to break the ______________ with.

Now find the idiom that means:

• to begin an initial conversation with a new unknown person 
• to be indirect 
• a difficult situation 
• to look too closely at small details and not see the whole picture 
• unclear, confusing 
• a situation that ends in suspense 
• to run away from trouble 
• to over exaggerate the severity of a situation 

Finish the sentences using the idioms above:

1. My friend was not honest with me, he ...
2. I couldn't understand the whole picture, I ...
3. Brad Pitt left us with a feeling of uncertainty in his last film, the film ...
4. I try to avoid people who exaggerate things, I ...
5. You are in trouble, you ...
6. What would you say to start a conversation with his dad, to ...?
7. The teacher's explanation was very confusing, it ...
8. We all need to get away from our problems and chores, we ...

🌹Feng shui your garden.

What do you know about garden feng shui?

Watch the video and choose the right answer:

If you are standing with your back to the front door of your property, where is the Tiger side?

to your left           to your right         in front of you

If you are standing with your back to the front door of your property, where is the Dragon side?

to your left             to your right         behind you

Where is the balance between male and female sides reflected besides the surroundings?

In our physiology                  In our food               In our clothes

What side of the brain governs female activities?

left side               right side           both do

In the classical Chinese feng shui what feature is behind the house?

the cliff                      the hill                     the mountain

What can provide protection?

Anything high                   Anything tall                 Dogs

What does Fenix represent?

The view of your past                        The view of your future                  The view of your present

Where should tall trees be?

At the front                  At the back               On the sides

What can garden feng shui tell us?

• the story of the Chinese Zodiac
• the story about the occupants            
• the legend of a Chinese god

this applies equally	at the back of the property
the male and female	of the brain
the left side	balance
you have a house sitting	with a mountain behind it
protection	opposite you
houses	trees
garden	from invaders
tall	design

Remember the video and make word combinations from two columns. Speak about the video using these words.

1. Which advice sounds reasonable to you?
2. Which advice sounds silly to you? Why?