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Herb Gardens
Herb Gardens

Learn English with this herb gardens English lesson

Date: Dec 04 2019

Themes: Food, Health, Hobbies

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Intro

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Famous chefs know how to cook food perfectly. They know how long to bake chicken, how long to keep vegetables in the pan, and, perhaps most importantly, which spices to use when. In fact, the secret to cooking well doesn’t start in the kitchen but in the garden.

Growing herbs is the best way to add freshness and flavor to foods. It might help to have a green thumb, but you can learn some tricks if you want a prolific herb garden. Use natural fertilizers to keep your plants healthy, and make sure they get plenty of water. When you’re ready to start cooking, you can just go outside, pick some fresh herbs, and all of a sudden, your food will taste much better.

Rafael and Marni are talking about plants. Learn who has a green thumb in today’s English lesson about gardening.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Rafael

Rafael

Marni

Marni

Rafael:  Every plant I try to grow… every plant… I kill it.

Marni:  Oh, I’m so sorry. Well, it sounds like you don’t have much of a green thumb. But I have to tell you, right now, I have an amazingly prolific herb garden.

Rafael:  Really?

Marni:  Yes. I just love growing herbs. I find it so therapeutic. Everything smells so good, and they’re so good for you. I use them in cooking, and I also use them as teas. I use a lot of natural fertilizers, but I definitely think that herbs… I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re really good for your health.

Rafael:  Well, sometimes I’m just walking by people’s gardens, and I can smell the pungent fertilizer. And I think to myself, “That’s way over the top.”

Marni:  Yeah. No, I don’t like to use a lot of fertilizers. I like to be able to smell the plants themselves. Lavender. Sage. Rosemary. All those wonderful smells.

Rafael:  Nice and natural, right?

Marni:  Exactly. So you should come over, and I’ll give you a little tutorial on how to grow herbs. It’s not that hard.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Rafael tells Marni that he isn’t good at gardening. In fact, he kills every plant he tries to grow. Marni agrees that Rafael doesn’t have a green thumb, but she might be able to help.

Marni loves gardening, and she has lots of herb plants that are growing well. Marni uses her herbs for cooking and for making tea. She loves how they smell, and she knows they’re really healthy, too.

Rafael doesn’t like the smell of fertilizers some people use. Marni says she does use natural fertilizers, but she doesn’t like to use a lot of fertilizers, either. For her, the smell of the actual plants is important, not the dirt.

Marni invites Rafael over. She wants to give him a lesson on growing herbs, so hopefully his garden will start to grow as well.

Do you grow herbs? What kinds of plants would you put in a garden?

 

Comments

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sulmann

Pakistan

I also love Herb Gardens. Right Now Working for PlantsIslamabad.com  for indoor Plants in Pakistan.

09:15 AM Jan 28 2021 |

inventive2

inventive2

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

We don’t have land for growing plants and live in apartment. But we very like plants and buy them and use in cooking and making tea. Iran is full of medicinal herbs, most of which use for making drugs. Some of these herbs are sent to other countries,too.
Avicenna, the great Iranian doctor, used these herbs to treat patients. He learned his knowledge to other people.

10:52 AM Sep 02 2018 |

Shashikant11

India

Now a day Not but i would be like very well.i would like ladyfinger,tomato,Methi etc to plant to put in a graden

12:18 PM Sep 01 2018 |

1 person likes this

Press1

Press1

Aruba

On my balcony I grow thyme, basil, rosemary and parsley. They all tolerate my lack of knowledge for plants. I like how herbs look ornamental on any kinds of plates and dishes.


11:17 AM Aug 31 2018 |

sheillaof

Brazil

I´m a herb killer just like Rafael. I definetly dont have a green thumb, as my grandmother does.

07:33 PM Aug 30 2018 |

1 person likes this

sunny_ling88

China

I can’t grow any plants, but I like natural herbs smell such as lavender,rose,chamomile, I am used to make tea to drink.

01:59 AM Sep 11 2014 |

Ameriknka

Ameriknka

Ukraine

Love growing herbs as well. Especially Rosemary. I read that rosemary essential oils help stimulate brain activity. So now, I actually have a bunch of fresh rosemary hanging on my desk lamp. Smells awesome and I really believe that it makes my work more creative and enjoyable.

12:18 AM Sep 04 2014 |

whipiry

whipiry

South Korea

Just adding freshness to your food everyday at least with whatever of vegetables could be good to our health. Now not quality but quantity. so far so good 

05:47 AM Sep 03 2014 |

etmln

etmln

Mongolia

when I was little I used to grow a lot of herbs. I think its more valuable to grow herbs by myself than to buy them. I enjoy eating the herbs that was grown by my hands, cos I know all the time how they growing process. 

02:20 PM Sep 02 2014 |

1 person likes this

WalaaDab

WalaaDab

Jordan

if I have garden, i would like to plant some herbs like Mint, Rosemery,Chamomile, Parsley and Laurus nobilis. but unfortunately I don’t have that garden.


in general, I see, the planting is the most important job in this world, when you go out to countryside, you will love that smell, the soil, the vegetables grow in that places. :)


07:00 PM Sep 01 2014 |

1 person likes this

nawrs9999

nawrs9999

Yemen

growing is  nice hoppy and the person who does it is of the kind of people who arelove to life with happenies


06:52 PM Sep 01 2014 |

abdulhalimhasan

Syrian Arab Republic

growing herbs or gardening is one of the best hobbies,wich means to grow plants and to take care off. i feel pleasure when i do it especially at weakend.


Actually i need some tutorial to get green thumb,and we usaully we need to use natural fertrilizer to improve soil,and we must be carfull for irritating theme regularly.


Doing that put me at ease

04:18 PM Sep 01 2014 |

1 person likes this

abdulhalimhasan

Syrian Arab Republic

Growing herbs or gardening is one of the best hobbies,wich means to grow plants and to take care off.I feel pleasure when i do it especially at weakend.


Actually i need some tutorial to be good green thumb,and we usaully  need to use natural fertrilizer to improve the soil,and we must be carfull for irritating theme regularly.


Doing that put me at ease.

04:18 PM Sep 01 2014 |

1 person likes this

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

everybody is lucky in life..some people have alot of abilities,green thumb..for exp ,they have herb gardens..they know how to grow herbs..they know how tasty meal they cook..they know when they will use fertilizer ..sometimes ım thinking ,its a great ability ,maybe great ART :)


they can feel freshness around them as a member of Nature :))


02:27 PM Sep 01 2014 |

vik32

vik32

India

no i dont grow herbs as i dont have a garden in my frontyard and backyard. but i would love to do that once i have a garden and would be planting those herbs which can be used for cooking and having good smell. at the same time you have to be very careful while doing this as you have to water constantly and use of fertilizers well.

06:58 AM Sep 01 2014 |

1 person likes this

Cyrus532

Cyrus532

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i like garden and plants, especially i be in forest. in my opinion herbs and trees make you good feel and you can relax. i think garden is very essential in house. 

06:44 AM Sep 01 2014 |

3 people like this

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