ESL Podcast 637 - Planting Flowers and Trees
to plant - to put seeds or plants into the ground so that they can grow, usually to produce food or to make an area more beautiful
Thirty years ago, we planted a small maple tree in front of our home, and now it's beautiful and at least 20 feet tall.
garden - an area of land used for growing plants, either for food or for beauty
Reynosa picked lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers from her garden to make a salad.
fertilizer - a substance that makes soil (earth; dirt) better and more nutritious for plants, often made from animal feces (solid waste) or chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorous
Our plants would grow more quickly and be healthier if we put some fertilizer in the soil.
to get to (someone) - to bother or annoy someone, especially after a period of time
All the news stories about homeless people are starting to get to me. I think we should volunteer and do something to help.
weed - an unwanted plant; an undesirable plant that should be removed from an area
Our rose garden has so many weeds that we almost can't see the flowers!
soil - dirt; earth; the substance on the ground outdoors that plants can grow in
Do we need to buy special soil for these flowers, or can we just plant them in front of the house?
to dig - to make a hole in the earth, usually by using a shovel (a tool) to move soil
The dog dug a hole near the tree and buried its bone there.
hole - an open area with nothing in it, surrounded by something else
Watch where you step! There are a lot of holes in the sidewalk and you could hurt yourself if you fell into one.
seed - the small piece of a plant that has all the genetic information needed for a new plant to grow
The little girl's mother taught her not to eat the seeds when she eats an apple. She should spit them out.
flower - a beautiful, colorful part of a plant, usually with many small pieces, that a plant uses to attract insects like bees, and that people give to each other as gifts
Melissa had beautiful flowers at her wedding ceremony: hydrangea, roses, and tulips.
pot - a plastic or ceramic container, usually round, without a top that is filled with soil and plants, used either indoors or outdoors
Winnie grows mint, oregano, basil, and other herbs in small pots by her kitchen window.
left - remaining; still available
A lot of food was left after the party, so Camden asked his guests to take some of it home with them.
deep - with a long distance below the surface; going far below something
If you don't know how to swim very well, stay out of the deep end of the pool.
root - one of the parts of a plant that is below ground and not seen, used to bring water and nutrients out of the soil and into the plant
If we want to get rid of those blackberry plants, we need to make sure we pull out all the roots. Otherwise they'll just grow back again.
to grow - for a living thing to become bigger and older over time
I can't believe how much your children have grown since the last time I saw them!
direct sunlight - with sunshine falling on something; with exposure to the sun that is not blocked by anything else
Those plants will probably die in direct sunshine. It would be better to plant them in the shade under a tree.
to water - to put a small amount of water on or near a plant so that it will continue to live and grow
How often do you water your houseplants?
to supervise - to manage; to watch how someone is doing something and give recommendations, instructions, and orders for doing it better
Nathan spends a lot of time supervising his new employees, but once they prove that they know what they're doing, he lets them work independently.