大学英语六级词汇Unit3-Part1

　　UNIT3

　　Gardening

　　One of the quiet joys

　　of life in the southern part

　　of Ontario, Canada, is gardening.

　　Whether pursued as a hobby

　　or solely to improve

　　the esthetic value of ones home,

　　the pleasure derived is only exceeded

　　by the therapeutic benefit.

　　The exercise involved in working

　　in a garden is helpful in

　　keeping people in good physical condition.

　　It has become a ritual

　　for homeowners to spend

　　late winter weekends browsing

　　through seed catalogues while

　　sitting on their couch.

　　They make lists of items

　　they wish to purchase

　　and often make notations right

　　on the catalogue as they make

　　decisions about this years garden.

　　If they order early,

　　there is usually a discount coupon,

　　allowing a percentage of

　　the cost to be

　　deducted from the price.

　　Often the coupon needs to

　　be detached from the catalogue

　　and mailed to the company

　　along with the order.

　　This is an extra bonus

　　for the consumer. The investment cost

　　required is nominal when the amount

　　of pleasure generated is considered.

　　The seed companies will

　　usually warrant the plants,

　　and often a refund is offered

　　if the plants do not thrive.

　　The shipment from the

　　seed companys warehouse is awaited

　　with eager anticipation.

　　Its appearance means that

　　spring will soon arrive.

　　The glossy pages of the catalogues

　　provide a preview of the visual

　　delights that can be grown.

　　Pictures show an array of

　　flowers that dazzle the eye.

　　There are monochromatic displays

　　as well as others that

　　are a fusion of the complete

　　spectrum of the rainbows colors.

　　Also included in the publication

　　are pictures and descriptions

　　of vegetables, shrubs, and trees.

　　Avid gardeners subscribe to magazines

　　that specialize in articles

　　and ads about this enjoyable pastime

　　and people literally read

　　each issue from cover to cover.

　　Descriptions of plants include

　　implicit instructions on whether

　　to plant them in sun or shade.

　　Specification as to the amount

　　of irrigation required is also stated.

　　Elaborate irrigation systems are sometimes

　　installed or a trench for

　　improving the water flow is used.

　　Controls are needed on

　　irrigation systems because if

　　the ground becomes too saturated

　　the soil in the garden

　　will be too muddy to

　　allow anyone to work in it

　　until it dries out.

　　If there is too much

　　water constantly, the garden

　　will become a swamp

　　and impossible to cultivate.

　　Geographic location is important for plants.

　　Certain plants are only suitable

　　for propagation close to the equator.

　　Others need to be several degrees

　　of latitude away from the equator.

　　Longitude is also a factor

　　and most companies clearly state

　　the conditions that will

　　provide the optimum chances

　　for the plants survival.

　　Canadians grow tulips imported

　　from Holland and they do well

　　in the Southern Ontario climate.

　　Because it is late spring

　　before plants can survive

　　outdoors in Southern Ontario,

　　it is common for people to

　　start their plants indoors.

　　Seeds are planted in small containers

　　and continue to grow indoors

　　until the appropriate size

　　is achieved. Sometimes ultraviolet light

　　is used to encourage plant growth.

　　When the mercury rises and

　　the danger of frost is past,

　　the plants are then transplanted

　　to the garden or to a flowerbed.

　　Plants are nourished from

　　the soil, but to provide

　　optimum food, fertilizer can be

　　applied to encourage vigorous growth.

　　Sometimes fertilizer is diluted

　　with water while other kinds

　　are dispersed with a spreader that

　　flings the fertilizer granules in a

　　small radius around the plants.

　　The water soluble fertilizer will

　　then be absorbed into the soil

　　the next time it rains.

　　Just as people need minerals,

　　such as calcium and zinc,

　　to be healthy, plants also need

　　minerals but phosphorous and nitrogen

　　are better food for them.