How to Grow Plants with Little Sun

Some people might think that growing plants without much sun is a difficult, if not impossible, task. However, that is not true.

What type of shade (背阴处) do you have?

The first step is understanding the type of shade you have. This is based on the amount (数量) of time that the sun shines on the area. 【小题1】They are:

• part shade (3-6 hours of direct sun, usually in the morning)

• full shade (less than 3 hours of direct sun)

• deep shade (sunlight rarely, if ever, gets through trees or past structures like buildings)

Buy the right plants

When you know your shade conditions, find plants that suit them. 【小题2】 You can also research that information online, in books or magazines. Experts at gardening stores are other sources of information.

And don’t forget your gardeners nearby. When walking around a community garden or your neighborhood, take note of plants growing in shady areas. Talk to the gardeners. 【小题3】

Ways to increase light

The gardening expert adds that painting nearby structures white mirrors sunlight. Glass and mirrored objects can also mirror light around the garden. If possible, carefully cut some tree branches (树枝). This lets more sunlight reach the ground.

What to plant?

Search for the low-light plants suitable for your area. 【小题4】 Vegetables like tomatoes need a lot of sun. But leafy greens actually grow better in part shade.

As for pests (害虫), some kinds like shade gardens. But most other pests are less of a problem in low-light conditions. 【小题5】 That is, you will feel less hot while gardening!

Does speaking on the phone make you nervous?

Speaking with people on the phone is becoming rare these days. Many people prefer to use email or messaging apps when they need to communicate with someone. Sometimes, though, making a phone call is unavoidable. This simple act can actually be an unpleasant experience for some people.【小题1】 If this sounds familiar to you, you might be one of them who suffer from telephobia—the fear of speaking on the phone.

Telephobia is a form of social anxiety, even people who feel perfectly comfortable in social situations may also experience telephobia. When speaking face to face, we give off lots of facial cues(暗示) that help each other follow the conversation. 【小题2】 Very often the idea of speaking on the phone makes some people so frightened that they will freeze up or lose control of the conversation. However, there are things that they can do to ease this fear.

One thing that those with telephobia can do before making a call is smile. 【小题3】 It won’t get rid of the anxiety altogether, but it will take the edge off it. Similarly, imagining how the call will go before you make it can also help things go more smoothly. 【小题4】 That will make you feel less nervous and may help you predict any possible problems.

【小题5】 Well, you don’t always have to pick up the phone. There’s nothing wrong with calling the person back later when you feel more comfortable. So the next time your phone starts ringing, remember—speaking on the phone doesn’t have to make you nervous. The important thing is to be aware of your fear and take steps to deal with it.

Worry problems are everywhere in our daily life.How to solve them？The answer is that we must equip ourselves to deal with different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis.The three steps are：

Get the facts

Why is it so important to get the facts？Unless you have the facts，you can’t possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently.Without the facts，all you can do is wandering around in confusion.It is not an easy job to get facts.When you are worried，your emotions are riding high.【小题1】

When trying to get the facts，you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person.【小题2】 You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree.Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case.You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

【小题3】

Whenever you are worried，write down the questions that make you worry.And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences of each step.For example，what am I worrying about？What can I do about it？Here is what I’m going to do about it.After carefully weighing all the facts，you can calmly come to a decision.

Act on that decision

【小题4】 How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you？Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.【小题5】 If you know a situation is beyond your power，say to yourself：“It is so；it can’t be otherwise.”Don’t permit little things to ruin your happiness.Try to cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.