Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America.

I'm Brian Lynn.

I'm Anna Mateo.

This program is made for English learners, so we speak a bit slower, and we use words and sentences especially written for people learning English.

Here are the stories on today's program.

Growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers is a popular activity around the world.

Today, Jill Robbins talks about taking care of an overgrown garden.

My co-host Brian Lynn will talk about the top technology news from 2024.

I will return with expressions for the new year in this week's words and their stories.

We will finish our show with The Lesson of the Day.

Andrew Smith and Jill Robbins will discuss how to use word stress in spoken English.

But first, here is Jill Robbins, with a story on gardening.

What is the best way to repair an overgrown garden?

Garden expert for the Associated Press, Jessica Damiano, believes she knows the answer.

Here are some of her suggestions for making big improvements.

Planning in the autumn and winter months can help you see something more beautiful next winter.

First, take a notebook with you and walk around the garden.

Look carefully at each part.

Try to decide which plants can be saved, which to throw away, and which ones require attention.

Make a list as soon as you can. Dead plants, weeds, and invasive plants should be first to go.

If the weather permits, dig them out, removing as much of their root systems as possible.

Otherwise, wait until spring to do this before planting.

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