A Desert in Bloom

Will Chiara and her mom be able to make themselves feel at home in their new house?

1 Chiara made her way down the hallway, past the neatly stacked cardboard boxes, and into the kitchen, where the early morning sunlight streamed through the windows. She stepped over another stack of boxes and slid open the glass door that led to a small deck. Chiara’s mom was sipping a cup of coffee, wisps of steam drifting into the air.

2 “What are you doing, Mom?” asked Chiara, staring out at the turquoise sky and clumps of plants that dotted the backyard.

3 “Well,” began Mrs. Giardini, “I was just noticing how strange and unfamiliar the landscape is here. Arizona and Massachusetts could be different planets, as far as the landscape is concerned. I was missing all the greenery in our backyard at home, but I was also appreciating how blue the sky is here. It really contrasts with the red earth, doesn’t it?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee.

4 Chiara nodded. “I see what you mean,” she said. “It doesn’t look like we could grow much here, does it?” she said gesturing to the few dusty looking plants in the yard.

5 “I have an idea,” said Mrs. Giardini suddenly. “Have you had your breakfast yet?” she asked. Chiara shook her head. “Grab a muffin and some fruit, and come with me.

6 Half an hour later, Chiara and her mom pulled into a nursery on the outskirts of town. As they entered the greenhouse, both Chiara and her mother took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar green, damp scent of growing plants. “Can I help you?” asked a man wearing a tag with the nursery’s logo and the name Joseph printed on it.

7 Mrs. Giardini smiled. “We’ve just moved here from Massachusetts,” she began. “We need some help starting a desert garden. ” 8 “Welcome to Arizona!” said Joseph. “The weather and the landscape here might take a little getting used to, but once you fall in love with it, you won’t want to live anywhere else.

9 “My first recommendation is that you primarily plant native plants. They thrive in this climate for a reason, and you won’t have to spend all your time watering plants that were meant to live somewhere else.

10 “That makes sense,” said Mrs. Giardini. “I’ve never grown cacti or other succulents before, but I think that it could be fun to experiment with them. ”

11 Joseph nodded in agreement. “You can create some beautiful cacti gardens, but you aren’t limited to planting only succulents in the desert. ” He pointed to several nearby pots. “I’ll show you a few of my favorites. The desert willow has beautiful blooms that some people think resemble orchids. Indian paintbrush can provide bright bursts of color in your garden.

12 Chiara and her mom grinned at each other. “I don’t think we had any idea what a lush, colorful garden we could have in the desert!” exclaimed Mrs. Giardini. “I’m not even going to worry about our stacks of boxes until we get a good start on the garden.

13 “I can’t wait to begin,” said Chiara, already loading plants into the cart.

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

126

1. Number the events below to show the order in which they happened.

_____ Joseph showed Chiara and her mom several of his favorite desert plants.

Chiara ate her breakfast in the car.

The Giardinis moved to Arizona from Massachusetts.

Mrs. Giardini said she missed the greenery in her old backyard.

Chiara found her mother sitting on the deck sipping coffee.

2. What problem do Chiara and her mom have at the beginning of the story?

3. Do you think that planting a garden will help the Giardinis feel more at home in Arizona? Why or why not?

4. What is one way in which Massachusetts and Arizona are different?

5. What does Mrs. Giardini mean when she says, “Arizona and Massachusetts could be different planets”?

6. Name the two different settings in this story.

7. Why were Chiara and her mom surprised to hear that they could plant colorful, blooming plants?

8. Why does Joseph recommend that Chiara and her mom plant native plants?

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

127