Unit 5 Rock gardening
Task 1. Read and memorize the words:
rock gardening – горное садоводство (озеленение)
foliage [‘f ulid ] – листва
mound [maund] – насыпь
friable [‘frai bl] – рыхлый
manure [m ‘nju ] – удобрение, удобрять
compost – удобрять компостом
vegetable matter – вещество растительного происхождения
excessive [ik’sesiv] – чрезмерный
fertilize [‘f :tilaiz] – удобрять химическими удобрениями
tilt – наклонять
masonry wall [‘meis( )nri] – каменная стена
artificial [,a:ti’fi l]– искусственный
ruggedness – шероховатость
rustic [‘r stik] – сельский, деревенский
obtainable [ b’tein bl] – доступный
limestone – известняк
crumble – крошиться
concrete [‘k nkri:t] – бетон
Task 2. Translate the sentences:
Example: This museum is worth visiting.
Этот музей стоит посетить.
1. This film is worth seeing.
2. This fertilizer is worth buying.
3. The soil is worth saving.
Example: This book should be read.
Эту книгу следует прочесть.
1. The topsoil should be stripped off.
2. This material should be used.
3. The plants should be selected carefully.
Example: I like this garden. – Мне нравится этот сад.
She looks like her mother. – Она похожа на свою мать.
1. The boy likes to sit in this tree.
2. The rock garden must not look like a masonry wall.
3. He likes to take care of his plants.
4. It looks like rain.
Task 3. Choose the correct variant:
1. There are very few/little container plants in her house.
2. There is few/little sugar in the basin.
3. Could you give me a few/a little pieces of bread?
4. Very few/little time is left.
5. He asks a few/a little pupils every lesson.
Task 4. Paraphrase the following word combinations according to the model:
Example: many houses - many a house
many barrels –
many gardens –
many bricks –
many students –
Task 5. Complete the sentences with if/unless:
1. I shall call you … you don’t mind.
2. She will buy this plant … it is very expensive.
3. They will add some manure … the soil is friable enough.
4. Don’t add too much manure … you want your plants to die.
5. … it is very cold in winter I shall bring this plant indoors.
Task 6. Read and translate the text:
Rock gardens are unique in that they maintain our interest the year around. Some of the plants bloom as early as February and some as late as December. Because it takes so little space and is readily adapted to any contour a rock garden fits into many a home setting. While few of the plants may be used for cut flowers, a careful selection will insure a continuous bloom, and the foliage of many of them is as beautiful as the flowers themselves. In order to be at its best a rock garden should be almost covered with plants; a mound with a few petunias is not a rock garden.
T
he
first essential to success in Rock Gardening is the careful
selection of the site. This should be a sunny location because but
not many plants which are suitable for a rock garden thrive in
shade. If no slope is available a low mound may be constructed
against a wall in the corner or at the edge of garden plan. Mounds
made in the center of a lawn should be avoided. Drainage is
absolutely necessary for success. If a hill is composed of heavy
clay soil the topsoil should be stripped off, if it is worth saving,
and composted with some good humus or well-rotted manure; work in
some sand and have the soil perfectly light and friable before
using.
Remember, you cannot reach under the rocks and condition the soil when it has once been placed. See that it contains plenty of vegetable matter before using. If necessary, bring in a load or at least a few barrels of rich soil. Avoid excessive chemical fertilization. All stones must go through to drainage and they should be tilted at a slight angle so that any rain falling on them will run back into the ground.
Place the stones irregularly with good size pockets of soil between. A rock garden must not look like masonry wall, unless you are building a wall garden, and even then, broken courses add to the charm.
The material to be used will, of course, depend upon what is readily obtainable. Limestone or well-worn rock of any kind is very good. However, it should not be so soft that it will crumble away in a few years. Avoid absolutely broken concrete and building rubbish.
Small pieces of stone left from the construction work should be saved and placed around the roots of plants, both to conserve the moisture and to keep them in the ground. Additional soil must be added from time to time to protect the root systems.
As to the selection of plants: some plants are sun-loving, some prefer shade. It should be taken into consideration when choosing plants and their place.
A wall garden is essentially artificial and need not be an imitation of any natural setting. However, an appearance of ruggedness and rustic effect is essential; it must not look like a brick wall. Decide what you want the rock work to look like; spend your efforts toward that end.
Task 7. Answer the questions:
1. In what way are rock gardens unique?
2. A mound with a few petunias is not a rock garden, is it? Why?
3. What is the first step when starting a rock garden?
4. Should mounds be made in the center of the lawn or not? Why?
5. What is absolutely necessary for success?
6. How should the soil be prepared?
7. How should the stones be placed?
8. Is excessive fertilization good or bad?
9. What material should be used or avoided in the rock garden?
10. What should be done with small pieces of stone left from the construction work?
11. Would you like to have a rock garden near your house? How would you decorate it?
12. What are the differences between the rock gardening and the container gardening?
Task 8. Find definitions to the following words:
Foliage, artificial, excessive, fertilization, limestone, concrete, friable, compost, manure, mound, crumble
made by humans, especially as a copy of something natural
a type of rock containing calcium and other substances
a pile of earth, stones etc.
waste matter from animals which is put on the land to make it produce better crops
the leaves of a plant
to break into very small pieces
the process of putting fertilizers on land
a mixture of decayed plant matter, such as grass, leaves used for making the soil richer
a building material made by mixing sand, small stones, cement and water
easily broken into small bits or into powder
too much, too great
Task 9. Translate the word in brackets:
1. In order to be at its best a rock garden should be almost (покрыт растениями).
2. It should be (солнечное место) since but few plants suitable for a rock garden thrive (в тени).
3. This (насыпь) is composed of (тяжелой глиняной почвы) so we need to strip off the (верхний слой почвы).
4. (Почва) must be perfectly (лёгкой и рыхлой) before you start planting.
5. Small (кусочки камня) should be placed around the (корней растений) to (сохранить влагу) and to keep them in the (земле).
Task 9. Translate into English:
1) строительный мусор; 2) весь год; 3) низкая насыпь; 4) тяжелая почва; 5) перед использованием; 6) время от времени; 7) раскрошится через несколько лет; 8) легкая и рыхлая почва; 9) длительное цветение; 10) сохранять влагу; 11) корни растения; 12) защищать корневые системы; 13) принимать во внимание; 14) искусственный; 15) даже.