Mary dug her hands into the dark soil. She loved the feel of the warm, moist earth as it crumbled through her fingers.

Slowly, she made a hole in the middle of the soil.

Then, she gently placed her marigold plant in the middle. Filling up the hole with soil, Mary stepped back and smiled. She felt very satisfied with her work. Mary’s mother walked over and looked at what Mary had done. “What a good job, Mary,” her mother said proudly. “You are turning into a good gardener.”

“Thanks mum,” Mary replied. “Gardening is fun. I cannot wait to see this plant bloom.”

“Be patient, Mary,” her mother advised. “It will bloom in good time. Why don’t you water it first?”

Mary nodded. She picked up the watering can and gently tipped it over her newly planted marigold.

A stream of water trickled down onto the leaves of the plant and disappeared into the soil.