ESL Podcast 419 - Planting a Garden

fresh air - air outside that smells clean and good

I love the smell of fresh air after it has rained.

to plant - to put seeds in the ground so that plants will grow

Where did you plant the carrots?

garden - a small piece of land that is used to grow plants, usually either flowers, fruits, or vegetables

This year, our garden has lots of strawberries and corn.

green thumb - the ability to make things grow well; the ability to work well with plants

Randy has a green thumb, so his garden always looks fantastic.

to tell (something) from (something) - to distinguish or differentiate something from something else; to see or understand the differences between two things; to know that two things are not the same

How can you tell a boy bird from a girl bird?

shovel - a tool for working the garden that has a long, wooden piece to hold onto and a large, mostly flat piece of metal at one end that is used to make holes, picking up dirt and moving it somewhere else

I need to use a shovel to dig a hole where I can plant this tree.

lawn mower - a large machine, usually powered by gasoline, that is used to cut grass, making it short and neat looking

Our neighbors like to cut their grass early in the morning, but their lawn mower is noisy and it wakes us up.

pot - a round container that holds dirt and one or more plants; a container that is used for growing plants

Meghan has several pots with pretty flowers by her front door.

bush - a large, short plant that has many branches and leaves

Are there a lot of rose bushes at the park?

your wish is my command - an expression used to show that one will do whatever another person wants one to do

Isabelle's husband always does whatever she asks him to, simply saying, "Your wish is my command."

fertilizer - something that is put on the ground to make the soil (dirt) better and help plants grow better and more quickly, usually made from chemicals or animal waste

If your plants don't grow very quickly, try adding some fertilizer and see if that helps.

seed - a very small, hard piece of a plant that, when put in the dirt, makes a new plant grow

Do you eat the seeds in grapes, or do you spit them out?

to hoe - to use a tool for working the garden that has a long, wooden piece to hold onto and a large, flat piece of metal at one end that is used to scrape

Yevi hoed his garden to make it ready for planting.

soil - dirt; the earth that is found on the ground and used to grow plants

Is the soil behind your house good for growing vegetables?

weed - an unwanted plant; a plant that one does not want to have growing in a particular place

Is this a lettuce plant or is it a weed?

reinforcement - something or someone that helps with a project and makes something stronger and better

When the firefighters saw how big the fire was, they called to ask for reinforcements.

to round up (something or someone) - to find, gather, and bring something or someone

We need to round up volunteers to pick up garbage on the beach this weekend.

to pull a fast one - to trick someone; to make someone do something that he or she normally wouldn't want to do; to make someone believe something that isn't true

I went to the outdoor market to buy a new watch, but the seller pulled a fast one and gave me an empty box instead.