英語(yǔ)播客 A Cup of English It's that time again

appologies today for talking about one of my passions: gardening. It's that time again, whoopee! The weather has been perfect recently. Though there is snow on the tops of the nearby mountains, and the breeze is cold, the bright sun makes up for it. There is always something to do when you have a garden. This time of year means clearing the place up and getting ready for the Spring. Our entryway had five large bushes in a row. For years, I wanted to move them, and finally, we have. My husband dug them up, and replanted them next to the garage. Now, what am I going to do with the space that is left? I have a plan. There is a certain tree called a Japanese Maple. Its leaves look delicate and feathery, and the slim branches create a layered effect. I will look all over town until I find just the right one. This type of tree looks great next to a building because the branches grow delicately close to the walls, and often they form an arch that you can walk under. They come in green, red, or a mixture of both colors(ours). Then, I think a variety of perennials and bulbs will do the trick for the rest of the area. It's surprising just how much work it is to add manure, peat moss, to dig, to rake, and then to clean up. It's a great workout! I think one of the reasons I love to garden so much is that you see progress very quickly, and nothing, apart from rock, is static. Growth can be seen in so many ways. After I finish this project, I will start tackling the vegetable garden. It is full steam ahead this year for maximum production of crops!

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: to make up for (it), to do the trick, to tackle, full steam ahead.

1. Having our friends over for dinner made up for the miserable weather.

2. You sound like you have a sore throat; this medicine will do the trick.

3. Tonight I have to tackle my tax forms; I'm not looking forward to it because there is so much paperwork.

4. We will not wait or delay progress. For us, it is full steam ahead.