Flower gardening and garden plants

Unit 6

THE KINGDOM OF PLANTS

I. Warming up (Разминка)

Listening & Speaking

 1. Group work. Reflect on the following quote about the flowers, interpret it and share your ideas with the class. Get ready to discuss different points of view answering questions and persisting in your own opinion. (See appendix 1):

“All the wars of the world, all the Caesars, have not the staying power of a lily in a cottage garden.” Flower quote by Reginald Farrer.

Useful terms and phrases

2. Read the terms and phrases and mind their pronunciation:

conifers	хвойные
ferns	папоротникообразные
mosses	мхи
green algae	зелёные водоросли
seaweed	морская водоросль
kelp	бурая водоросль
fungus (fungi)	гриб
to nurse plants	ухаживать за растениями
annual	однолетнее растение
to grow through seeds	выращивать из семян
garden layout	планировка сада
border and hedge	бордюрное растение и живая изгородь
genus (genera)	вид
perennial	многолетнее растение
leafy stem	облиственный cтебель
biennial	двухлетнее растение
herbaceous perennial	травянистое (злаковидное) многолетнее растение
rooting	укоренение
tubular flower	трубчатый цветок
humus	гумус, перегной
established plant	акклиматизировавшееся растение
to reseed oneself	размножаться самосевом

Vocabulary Focus

3. Match the words and phrases to their translation:

a)

flowering plant	гриб
conifers	получать энергию
ferns	способствовать глубокому укоренению
mosses	бурая водоросль
green algae	цветущее растение
seaweed	хвойные
kelp	мхи
fungus (fungi)	сократить заболевания листьев
to obtain energy	зелёные водоросли
to promote deep rooting	морская водоросль
to reduce leaf diseases	папоротникообразные

b)

via photosynthesis	при благоприятных условиях
to enhance the aesthetic beauty	многочисленные виды растений
to contribute to the environment	ухаживать за различными растениями
to produce normal amounts of chlorophyll	посредством фотосинтеза
innumerable species of plants	пышно расти, расцветать
to nurse different plants	усиливать эстетическую красоту
under favorable conditions	однолетние растения
to flourish	благоприятствовать окружающей среде
annuals	вырабатывать нормальное количество хлорофилла

с)

short-lived	варьироваться от 6 дюймов до 3 футов
to grow through seeds	многолетнее растение
to make seeds	двухлетнее растение
garden layout	множество разновидностей
border and hedge	облиственный cтебель
biennial	выращивать из семян
a wide array of varieties	живущий недолго
to range from 6 inches to 3 feet	давать семена
perennial	бордюрное растение и живая изгородь
leafy stem	планировка сада

 d)

growing conditions	пересаживать
herbaceous perennial	продолжать цвести
tubular flower	укоренение
rich in humus	травянистое (злаковидное) многолетнее растение
established plant	многолетнее растение
to tolerate	условия произрастания
perennial	трубчатый цветок
to keep on flowering	с высоким содержанием гумуса
to replant	акклиматизировавшееся растение
rooting	терпеть, выносить

 

II. Evocation (Вызов)

Speaking & Writing                            

4. Group work. Read the questions and write down individually everything you know   about plants. Then, discuss ideas with your group.

1. What types of plants do you know?

2. How do they get their green color?

3. Can you classify types of garden plants?

4. What are their characteristic features?

 

5. Group work. Report your ideas to the class

6. Fill in the first column of the “logbook”:

 

I know about garden plants

I have learnt about garden plants

 

III. Realization (Осмысление)

Reading

7. Read the terms and phrases and mind their pronunciation:

greenery	растительность, зелень
growth habit	форма роста, характер роста
soil and nutrient requirements	потребности в почве и питательных веществах
characteristic shape and size	характерная форма и размер
aster	астра
bachelor button	василёк
balsam	бальзамин, недотрога
basil	базилик
cosmos	космея, космос
petunia	петуния
marigold	бархатцы, календула, ноготки
salvia	шалфей
Asteraceae	астровые
china Aster	астра садовая, китайская астра
daisy	маргаритка
flower head	цветочная головка, соцветие
longevity	долговечность
foxglove	наперстянка, бигнония укореняющаяся
rosette	розетка
succeeded by a spike	с последующим колосом
to seed	идти в семена
bleeding Heart	дицентра великолепная
water Lily	кувшинка, белокрыльник болотный
geranium	герань, пеларгония
acidic soils	кислая почва
Compositae	сложноцветные
African daisy	гербера Джемсона
vibrant colour	яркий цвет
to spread out	развернуться, расширяться
in a circle	по кругу
greenhouse	теплица
abundance of flowers	изобилие цветов

 

  Speaking & Listening

8. Pair work. Find answers to the following questions:

· What green plants can you name?

· How do they obtain energy?

· In what way does greenery affect the place?

· What types are garden plants classified into?

Plants

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Plants include such organisms as flowering plants, conifers, ferns, mosses, and green algae, but do not include seaweeds like kelp, nor fungi and bacteria. The group is also called green plants or Viridiplantae in Latin. They obtain most of their energy from sunlight via photosynthesis using chlorophyll contained in chloroplast, which gives them their green color. Some plants are parasitic and may not produce normal amounts of chlorophyll or photosynthesize.

At least one of every eight plant species in the world is under threat of extinction, according to the first comprehensive worldwide assessment of plant endangerment.

Apart from the much needed afforestation, there is an imperative need for growing as many plants as possible, in home gardens, in parks and other public gardens in waste lands, river banks and any other places.

A home or a neighborhood with well planned greenery not only enhances the aesthetic beauty of the place but also contributes to the environment. There are innumerable species of plants available for both home gardening and outdoor garden and each one’s requirement is different from others. So, to grow and nurse different plants in your garden, you must have some understanding of the nature and the characteristics of the plants, their growth habit and environment, soil & nutrient requirements. It is often observed that under favorable conditions, plants flourish into their characteristic shapes and sizes.

All the knowledge and experience are important as well as essential for growing plants either indoors or outdoors. It is also a fascinating study and a pleasant experience. Therefore, we tried to provide some information about different plants.

Types of garden plants

Annuals

Annuals are plants that live for a year or less based on Latin 'annus', meaning ‘year’. Annuals are also known as seasonal flowering plants which flower only for three to four months. They are normally grown through seeds. They grow, flower, and make more seeds and die, within a year. Annuals are great for creating an instant effect and adding color to your garden. Planting annuals also gives you the option of changing the layout of your garden after a year. Most annuals are tender and some of them like phlox look beautiful and are excellent as borders and hedges.

Examples of Annuals are Asters, Bachelor button, Phlox, Balsam, Basil, Cosmos, Petunias, Marigold, Salvias etc.

Aster (China Aster)

Scientific Name : Callistephus Chinensis Family : Asteraceae Common names : Aster, China Aster Flowering Period : August-September Colour : Various

The family Asteraceae has an estimated 1,150 genera and a huge number of species seen almost all over the world originating from North America, Europe, and China etc. The large China Asters are the most common form grown by florists and gardeners. Native to Asia, it has a wide array of varieties and the height ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet. Most species of Aster are perennial and generally bloom in August. They have daisy-like or star-like flower heads (4-6" in diameter) with a yellow center on leafy, often tall, stems. Their colors vary from white to creamy yellow, pink, blue, red and purple. They do well in beds, borders or pots and are favorite as cut flowers because of their longevity.

Biennials

Biennial is a plant that takes two years to grow from seed to fruition, bloom and die or a plant based on Latin 'biennis' meaning ‘two years’. These are also seasonal flowering plants that flower only in the second year of planting. After blooming, they don’t perform well the following year and then die. If you want to have blooms with biennial flowers year after year, you have to plant seeds every year. Foxglove is one of the examples of Biennial.Some plants grown as biennials are, botanically speaking, short-lived perennials.

 Foxglove plant

Foxglove plants are classified as biennial: leaves form a rosette close to the ground the first year, succeeded by a spike with blooms the second and final year. But under favorable growing conditions they often last longer, blooming another year or two. In this case, they may be considered herbaceous perennials. Foxglove plants often reseed themselves. Foxglove plants are tall, slender perennials at 2-5' in height and just 1-2' wide. Numerous tubular flowers bloom on a spike, ranging in color from purple to white. Foxglove flowers appear in the summer months.

Grow foxglove plants in partial shade in a well-drained, acidic soil, rich in humus. Established foxglove plants may tolerate dry shade.

Perennials

The Latin 'perennis' means ‘many years'. Perennials are those flowering plants that last longer and keep on flowering. Most take two years until they are old enough to bloom. Examples are Bleeding Heart, Water Lily, Gerberas, Geraniums etc. Once you plant them there is no need for replanting year after year. But they are not a good option, if you want to change the layout of the garden frequently. Most perennials grow best in slightly acidic soils (pH 6.5 to 7.0) and prefer six to eight hours of sun per day. Watering should be deep, infrequent and applied directly to the soil. This type of watering will promote deep rooting and will help reduce leaf diseases.

Gerbera

Scientific Name : Gerbera jamesonii Family : Asteraceae/Compositae (Daisy Family) Common N ames : Gerbera, African daisy Flowering Period : All year round Colour : white, red, cream, orange, pink, purple & yellow

Gerbera flowers come in vibrant colours adding beauty to your garden. It has around 40 species spreading from Africa to Madagascar into tropical Asia and South America. Gerbera are plants with a height up to 18 to 24 inch and 4 to 10 inch diameter flowers. There will be more than ten leaves in a plant, medium green in colour spread out in a circle parallel to the ground. These plants can be planted in gardens, containers and pots. These cut flowers last long and give colour and beauty to any room. There are many hybrids that come in white, cream, yellow, orange-pink, purple or violet. These plants are usually grown in greenhouses and are used for cut flowers. Gerbera flowers all year round.

For best results the plants need a liberal amount of sun and water. Half a day of direct sun and half a day of partial shade and remaining slightly moist at all times is ideal. High source of light can give an abundance of flowers.

Reading & Writing

9. Read the text once again and fill in the second column of the “logbook” “ I have learnt about garden plants”.

 

Vocabulary Focus

10. Match the words from two columns to create a phraseand make sentences to use them in your own text entitled “My concept of plants”. Share your ideas with the partner:

 

to obtain	favorable growing conditions
to produce	species of plants
an imperative	garden plants
to enhance	into characteristic shapes & sizes
innumerable	normal amounts of chlorophyll
to nurse	energy from sunlight
to flourish	need for growing plants
under	the aesthetic beauty

11. Match the words from two columns to create a phraseand make sentences to use them in your own text entitled “General characteristics of annual plants”. Share your ideas with the partner:

seasonal	an instant effect
to grow	the layout of the garden
to flower	as borders and hedges
to create	through seeds
to add	flowering plants
to change	and make seeds
excellent	color to the garden

12. Match the words from two columns to create a phraseand make sentences to use them in your own text entitled «Biennial plants”. Share your ideas with the partner:

 

flower	perennials
plant	in color
short-lived	longer under favorable conditions
form	in the summer months
to bloom	dry shade
to last	in the second year of planting
to appear	a rosette close to the ground
to range	on a spike
to tolerate	seeds

13. Match the words from two columns to create a phraseand make sentences to use them in your own text entitled “Perennial plants and favourable conditions for their growth”. Share your ideas with the partner:

 

to keep on	beauty to the garden
to give	deep rooting
to grow	leaf diseases
to apply	flowering
to promote	in a circle
to reduce	an abundance of flowers
to add	best in slightly acidic soils
to spread out	directly to the soil

Listening & Speaking

14. Pair work. Role play the following situation: your professional partner and you are going to create a flowerbed for the university. Discuss the details concerning plants, soil, constructed elements and things. Highlight the most important stages. Share responsibilities.

Reflection (Рефлексия)

Speaking & Listening

15. Group work. Reflect on your own professional speech. (See appendix 4.)

16. Group work. Reflect on the professional speech of other students.

(See appendix 4.)

Writing

17. Make an annotation to the text “Plants”. (See appendix 7.)

Unit 7

FLOWER GARDENING

I. Warming up (Разминка)

Listening & Speaking

1.Individual work. Reflect on the following quote about gardening, interpret it and share your ideas with the class. Get ready to discuss different points of view answering questions and persisting in your own opinion. (See appendix 1.)

“Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas”. - Flower quote by Elizabeth Murray.

Useful terms and phrases

2. Read the following terms and phrases and mind their pronunciation:

predominant	доминирующий
herb	целебная трава, ароматическая или кухонная трава
greenhouse	теплица, оранжерея
to implement	осуществлять, реализовывать
to price	расценивать, назначить цену
in a proper way	надлежащим образом
to sprinkle seeds	разбросать семена, обрызгивать
lush look	буйно растущий вид
planting material expenses	расходы на посадочный материал
mulch	мульча (материал для покрытия почвы)
loose soil	рыхлая почва
the width of the flowerbed	ширина цветника

Vocabulary Focus

3. Match the words and phrases to their translation:

a)

predominant feature	насладиться красотой природы
herb	выживать
to get in touch with nature	доминирующее характерное свойство
to enjoy the beauty of nature	осуществлять, реализовывать
greenhouse	ароматическая или кухонная трава
to implement	теплица, оранжерея
to survive	соприкоснуться с природой
to price reasonably	надлежащим образом
in a proper way	подобрать подходящий участок
to select the right sight	оценивать разумно

b)

loose soil	добавить мульчу
to sprinkle seeds	уплотнить почву
to dig a hole	ограничить ширину цветника
to set the flower into the hole	расходы на посадочный материал
to limit the width of the flowerbed	рыхлая почва
to add mulch	разбросать семена
to press the soil down firmly	создать буйно растущий вид
to create the lush look	выкопать ямку
planting material expenses	поместить цветок в ямку

II. Evocation (Вызов)

Writing

4. Group work. Before reading the text assume which words can be key words in the theme “Flower gardening” and fill in the left column of the chart called “synthesis”:

Key words	Explanation
Before reading 1………… 2…………	Before reading

 

5. Individual work. Give explanation to your key words and fill in the right column of the “synthesis” chart. Share your ideas with your group.