1. Theme

Gardening, which begins in spring - a season of hope, keeps people hopeful for the future, especially in the coldest days of December.

2. Structure

1) Part 1 (Para. 1-2): Gardening as a way of celebrating the coming of spring.

2) Part 2 (Paras. 3-10): Reasons for keeping a garden: gardening helps us learn by trial and error, reminds us of the delicacy and bountifulness of our planet and helps character building.

3) Part 4 (Paras.11-12): Gardening enables people to stay hopeful for the future.

3. Questions

1) How do you understand the title of the text?

2) What does the author mean when he says that perhaps gardening had to do with human nature?

3) What is at the heart of all gardening?

4) What does the author allude to by saying “And that’s what gardening is all about—character building. Which is why Adam was a gardener.”?

4. Discussion

1) What are the most delightful things people expect from a garden?

2) When gardeners garden, it is not just plants that grow, but the gardeners themselves. Give your own Explanations.

3) How do you understand the statement A garden is an awful responsibility?