Issue 246 - The food garden

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Basic

Vocabulary: Words related to gardens

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Conversation – The food garden

Read and listen to text from a blog.

The food garden

Do you want to grow things you can eat? There are many common vegetables that you can grow from the parts that we usually put in the rubbish bin. In this blog post, I will tell you how to grow beetroot leaves. It’s very easy!

1. Cut approximately 1.5 cm from the top part of a beetroot; where the leaves grow, not the roots.

2. Put water in a glass, and put the cut part of the beetroot into the water.*

3. Put the glass in a sunny place.

4. Change the water in the glass every few days.

* If you want, you can put soil in a pot, and plant the cut part of the beetroot in the soil. Water the soil every two days.

After a few days, you will see new leaves. After two or three weeks, you can cut the leaves and eat them! For example, you can use them to prepare a delicious salad. The leaves are very nutritious!

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Intermediate
Blog post: The food garden

Read and listen to text from a blog. Then answer the questions in the Comprehension section.

The food garden

Do you like growing things you can eat? There are lots of common vegetables that you can regrow from the parts that we usually throw away. In this blog post, I will tell you in four simple steps how to grow beetroot leaves. Even young children can do it.

1. Cut about 1.5 cm off the top of the beetroot; the part where the leaves grow from, not the roots. (Cut off any existing leaves first.)

2. Fill a glass or shallow bowl with water, and place the cut part of the beetroot into the water.*

3. Leave the glass in a sunny place.

4. Change the water in the glass every few days.

* If you want, you can plant the cut part of the beetroot directly in soil in the garden or in a plant pot. Water the soil every couple of days or when it gets dry.

After a few days, new leaves will start to appear. Once the leaves are bigger, after about two or three weeks, you can cut them and eat them! For instance, you can use them to prepare a tasty salad or a healthy soup. The leaves are very nutritious!

Now answer the questions in the Comprehension section.

Comprehension: Check your understanding

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Advanced
Blog post: The food garden

Read and listen to text from a blog. Then answer the questions in the Comprehension section.

The food garden

Do you like the idea of growing your own food? Loads of common vegetables can be regrown from the scraps we usually discard. If you hate generating unnecessary waste, read on! In this blog post, I’m going to share the secret of how to grow beetroot leaves in just four simple steps. You don’t have to be green-fingered to get impressive results, even young kids can give it a go.

1. Cut about 1.5 cm off the top of a beetroot; you want the part that sprouts leaves, not the root end. (Discard any existing leaves first.)

2. Fill a glass or shallow bowl with water, and set the cut side of the beetroot down in the water. If it doesn’t float you can give it a helping hand. Pierce the beetroot top halfway up with three, equally spaced cocktail sticks and balance them on the edge of the glass.*

3. Leave the glass in a sunny spot.

4. Put fresh water in the glass every few days.

* Alternatively, plant the beetroot top directly in earth in the garden or in a plant pot. Water the soil liberally every couple of days or so; you want to keep it moist.

After just a few days, new leaves will start to sprout. Once the leaves have flourished, after about two or three weeks, you can start to harvest them and eat them! Why not use them to prepare a yummy salad or a healthy soup: they are packed with nutrition!

Now answer the questions in the Comprehension section.

Comprehension: Check your understanding

Choose the best option.

Interview: listen to more about the topic

Think about your answers to the following questions. Then listen to somebody answering the same questions. Were your answers similar?

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