Mark is calling the gardening show about _____.

Some dying flowers

diseased fruit trees
several strawberry patches

His wife received the particular plants from her ____...

close friend
sister
mother

Mark thinks that he might ___.

Killed the plants with deadly chemicals
driven his truck over the plants
covered the plants accidentally

Mark won't be able to deal with the situation unless ____.

His wife goes on vacation
he can buy the right plant food
the weather improves soon

The gardening show host suggests that Mark ____...

take is wife out to eat
go on vacation
ask for forgiveness
Idioms
"let the grass grow around your feet" = wait, waste time, or delay in doing
something
"Don't let the grass grow around your feet. Stop sitting at home and get out and
apply for a job."

"turn a new leaf" = change one's behavior

"I don't think he'll turn over a new leaf just because he is getting married."

Susan: Hi. Welcome back to Susan's Gardening Show. I'm Susan, and we're
ready to take our next caller. We have Mark from Seattle. Are you still there,
Mark?

Mark: Uh. Yeah, but maybe not for long.

Susan: So, how can we help you today?

Mark: Okay. Uh, my wife is really into gardening, and about five years ago, she
received a beautiful climbing rose bush . . . I think an Agatha Christie [That's a
nice one.] from her mother who has passed away. Anyway, the rose plant seems
to be on its last leg.

Susan: Really? Normally, that rose is really quite hardy [I know.], and it's very
disease-resistant, too. [I know.]

Mark: Yeah. Well, this situation ISN'T normal. You see about a week ago, I was
doing some yard work, and I was using some weed killer [UH-oh.], yeah, to try
to get rid of some terrible weeds and . . .

Susan: Did you spray the roses?

Mark: Uh, well, not exactly. I set the spray container down near the roses while I
was trimming a bush, and the container must have gotten knocked over, and the
weed killer soaked into the ground near the roses.

Susan: How much weed killer are you talking about?

Mark: Uh, about six or seven quarts (about six liters or 1.6 gallons), I think. [Oh,
that's a lot.] You know, I mean when you put . . .

Susan: And the roses? What do they look like now?

Mark: Oh, Dead, real dead. Dead as a doornail dead, but my wife hasn't seen
them yet.
 Susan: Really? What have you done? Blindfolded her?

Mark: Well, I've kept her away from that side of the house where the roses are,
but she is bound to see them at some point.

Susan: Yeah, yeah. You've got a problem.

Mark: I mean, is there anything I can do to revive them?

Susan: Not unless you're a magician.

Mark: Well, can you recommend a quick-growing variety that can take its place?

Susan: Marc. I'm sorry. You've made a mistake . . . A big mistake.

Mark: . . . except that my wife warned me this could happen . . . Oh, man.

Susan: Oh, shoot. Listen. You made a blunder. A big mistake. A really big
mistake. But unless your wife goes on vacation for a couple of years, you're not
going to be able to replace the roses that fast.

Mark: So, any recommendation? I mean, what do I do?

Susan: You need to talk to her.

Mark: Are you kidding? You don't know my wife.

Susan: I'm sorry. Look. You've waited long enough. Don't let the grass grow
around your feet. Say something, but be sure to hide the garden shears before
you do. Kneel down; ask for forgiveness now.

Mark: But that's what I did when I killed her prized apple tree last year.

Susan: No way. Really?

Mark: Oh, man. Oh! She's coming in from outside [Oh, no, oh no.].

Susan: One final word: Hide the weed killer. [But . . .] Thanks, Mark. That's all
the time we have for now. Let's move on to the next caller.

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences

• be into something (idiom): be interested in something
- I was really into running for awhile until I injured my knee.
• be on one's last leg (idiom): be ready to die or give out because of lack of
energy
- My truck is on its last leg, so I need to start looking for a new one.
• hardy (adjective): strong or sturdy
- You need to plant hardy varieties of bushes in this area because of the harsh
winter weather.
• get rid of (idiom): throw away or discard
- You should get rid of these plants; they are growing out of control.
• be/looks dead as a doornail (idiom): undoubtedly dead
- Unfortunately, our pet chicken in the garden looks as dead as a doornail. It
must have died during the snow storm last night.
• be bound to (verb): be likely to happen
- Seeing that you have taken so good care of your garden, you are bound
to have a great harvest this summer and fall.
• revive (verb): bring back to life or make something more alive
- I think it is too late. No matter how much you water that plant, you won't be
able to revive it.
• blunder (noun; also a verb): a careless or embarrassing mistake
- It was a real blunder not to have watered the garden more frequently. Now,
none of the plants will survive.
• let the grass grow around your feet (idiom): wait, waste time, or delay doing
something
- When it comes do doing well in school, you should never let the grass grow
around your feet. Get busy and study every day.
• shears (noun): a gardening tool that looks like a large pair of scissors for cutting
and trimming bushes and plants
- Does anyone know where the shears are? I need them to trim the bushes in the
front yard.