Planning Seasonal Garden Care
A group is discussing the tasks and preparations needed for their garden during an upcoming season (e.g., preparing beds for spring planting, winterizing plants, harvesting in autumn).
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
solidify
To make something firm or definite, like finalizing a plan. In gardening talks, it means to confirm and strengthen your ideas for the project.
amending
Improving soil by adding nutrients or materials. It's a key gardening term for making the ground better for plants to grow.
compost
Decayed organic material used as fertilizer. It's natural and helps enrich the soil in gardens.
weeds
Unwanted wild plants that compete with garden crops. Removing them is important to keep your garden healthy.
harden off
To gradually get plants used to outdoor conditions before planting them outside. This prevents shock from sudden changes in temperature or light.
bolt
When a plant grows too quickly and starts flowering or seeding too early, making leaves bitter. It's a problem for leafy greens like lettuce.
irrigation
A system for supplying water to plants, like hoses or sprinklers. Checking it ensures your garden gets enough water without waste.
recap
To summarize or review the main points of a discussion. It's useful at the end of meetings to confirm understanding.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
With spring just around the corner, I think it's time we really solidify our plan.
This uses the idiom 'just around the corner' to mean 'very soon.' It's useful for talking about upcoming seasons or events. The structure with 'I think it's time we...' suggests starting an action politely in group discussions.
I was going to suggest we get a head start on amending the soil.
'Get a head start' means to begin early for an advantage. This sentence shows how to make suggestions in a team, using 'I was going to suggest' to introduce an idea softly. Great for planning activities.
We should definitely clear out any lingering weeds from last season.
'Definitely' adds emphasis, meaning 'certainly.' 'Clear out' means to remove completely. This is a practical way to give advice in gardening or cleaning contexts, using 'should' for recommendations.
It's much easier to do now before they really take off.
'Take off' here means to grow rapidly. The comparative 'much easier' compares actions over time. Useful for explaining why timing matters in tasks like weeding or studying.
I'll need to harden them off in a few weeks before transplanting.
This future plan uses 'will need to' for obligations. 'Harden off' is a specific gardening phrasal verb. It's helpful for describing plant care steps in sequence, like 'before' for timing.
I'm just waiting for a bit more consistent warmth outside.
'Consistent' means steady or regular. 'A bit more' softens the request for change. This sentence shows how to express patience in waiting for conditions, common in weather or project talks.
Let's not forget to check the irrigation system before we get too deep into planting.
'Let's not forget to' is a reminder in group settings. 'Get too deep into' means to start seriously. The clause with 'before' shows sequence. Ideal for to-do lists in planning.
So, to recap: weeding, amending soil, covering beds, checking irrigation, and continuing with indoor seed starts.
'To recap' introduces a summary. The colon lists items with 'and' for the last one. This structure is perfect for ending meetings by reviewing action items clearly.