Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. microgardening
    • ex. Many apartment residents use microgardening to grow fresh vegetables in tiny indoor pots.
  2. a windowsill
    • ex. The cat enjoys sleeping on the wide windowsill where the sun shines all day.
  3. mature
    • ex. Sunflowers usually take about three months to mature and produce seeds.
  4. microgreens
    • ex. You can grow healthy lettuce microgreens from seeds in about twelve days.
  5. a trellis
    • ex. The cucumber plant grows upward on a wire trellis to save floor space.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Microgardening is a way to grow a lot of food in a small space, such as a balcony, patio, or windowsill. One useful method is to grow plants that mature quickly, gather them, and then plant new ones. Microgreens are a good example because they grow fast indoors and are easy to care for. Popular choices include mizuna, broccoli, radish, and cabbage. After cutting the small leaves of some microgreens, you can use them in salads, sandwiches, or smoothies, and then plant more seeds.

Many herbs, fruits, and vegetables also grow well in containers. Basil, mint, and leaf lettuce can produce several harvests during one season. A small kind of apple tree can also grow in large pots. Gardeners can save space by using hanging baskets, wall planters, trellises, and multi-level plant stands.

Microgardening can also make a space look beautiful. Plants like red lettuce and sweet potatoes provide both food and color. By mixing flowers, herbs, and vegetables, even a very small garden can become attractive and productive.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Microgardening

  • The article mentions that microgardening is a great way to grow a lot of food in tiny spaces like windowsills. Do you think it is really worth the time and effort to grow food at home? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Think about your own home and neighborhood right now. Do you see fresh vegetables, herbs, or fruits growing or people doing microgardening around your area? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If your community offered free seeds and gardening tools, would you start microgardening? Why or why not? Discuss.

Small Spaces

  • The article mentions that mixing flowers, herbs, and vegetables can make a very small space look both attractive and productive. What do you think of making a very small space look beautiful and useful with plants? Discuss.
  • Think about your home. Are there any small spaces available in it? Discuss.
  • If you can design your own home, what rooms and spaces would you like to have? Discuss.