| Introduction |
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8 | (4) |
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12 | (2) |
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14 | (2) |
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How many plant species are there? |
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16 | (1) |
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How are new plants made from pieces of other plants? |
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17 | (1) |
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18 | (2) |
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Why are some leaves purple? |
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20 | (1) |
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21 | (1) |
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How do seeds know when to germinate? |
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22 | (2) |
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What makes herbs smell nice? |
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24 | (2) |
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26 | (2) |
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Why can grass be mown, but not other plants? |
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28 | (1) |
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Why don't all the seeds I scatter grow? |
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29 | (1) |
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What seeds can be collected at home? |
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30 | (2) |
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How long can plants live? |
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32 | (2) |
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34 | (1) |
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Do seeds have to be small to be spread by the wind? |
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35 | (1) |
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Why do shrubs seem to grow even faster after being pruned back? |
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36 | (2) |
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How long can a seed remain alive? |
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38 | (2) |
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What would happen if the lawn wasn't mown for a year? |
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40 | (1) |
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When does a shrub become a tree? |
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41 | (1) |
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Why are some carrots straight and others crooked? |
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42 | (2) |
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Why can't you buy orchid seeds? |
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44 | (2) |
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Where do cacti come from? |
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46 | (1) |
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Why do some people talk to plants? |
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47 | (1) |
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What is an alien invader? |
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48 | (2) |
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What is the difference between a mushroom and a toadstool? |
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50 | (2) |
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Why do some trees have needles? |
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52 | (1) |
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Why do some plants have thorns? |
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53 | (1) |
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What does the `F1' on seed packets mean? |
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54 | (2) |
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Why do wild plants seem to thrive, when those carefully planted in the garden often die? |
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56 | (2) |
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Is the air inside a bell pepper the same as the air outside? |
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58 | (1) |
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How do seeds know which way is up? |
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59 | (1) |
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How fast does water travel in a plant? |
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60 | (2) |
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Can seeds be spread by water? |
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62 | (4) |
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Why don't fig trees have flowers? |
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66 | (2) |
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Do apples really fall close to the tree? |
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68 | (2) |
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Why are there so many different sorts of flower? |
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70 | (1) |
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71 | (1) |
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Is there a way to check if a flower is male or female? |
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72 | (2) |
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What does a bee see when it looks at a flower? |
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74 | (2) |
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How do plants with seedless fruit reproduce? |
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76 | (1) |
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77 | (1) |
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What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? |
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78 | (2) |
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Why do flowers make nectar? |
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80 | (2) |
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Is it true that sunflower heads follow the sun? |
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82 | (1) |
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Why are some hydrangeas blue and others pink? |
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83 | (1) |
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Why is there a glut of apples in one year, but then hardly any the next? |
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84 | (2) |
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Does bamboo die after flowering? |
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86 | (2) |
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How do plants produce such a variety of different colours? |
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88 | (1) |
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Why does pollen make some people sneeze? |
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89 | (1) |
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Are any flowers truly blue? |
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90 | (2) |
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Why do flowers close at night? |
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92 | (4) |
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96 | (2) |
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98 | (2) |
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Why does rainwater turn the soil acid? |
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100 | (1) |
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Does the answer really lie in the soil? |
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101 | (1) |
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How long does a dead tree stand? |
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102 | (2) |
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Why do toadstools often grow under trees? |
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104 | (2) |
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How much of a plant is in its roots? |
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106 | (1) |
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Is it worth ridding soil of stones? |
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107 | (1) |
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If I stood under a tree in a storm, would I feel its roots move? |
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108 | (2) |
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Could a tree drink a swimming pool? |
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110 | (2) |
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Why do stones rise to the surface after rain? |
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112 | (1) |
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When a tree catches fire, do its roots burn? |
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113 | (1) |
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How much damage can roots do? |
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114 | (2) |
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116 | (2) |
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When annuals die back each winter, do their roots die back, too? |
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118 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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When two plants' roots meet underground, do they help or hinder each another? |
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120 | (2) |
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Where does topsoil end and subsoil begin? |
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122 | (2) |
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124 | (1) |
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When soil dries in summer, does it shrink? |
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125 | (1) |
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Did the Romans really poison their enemies' fields with salt? |
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126 | (2) |
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How do worms communicate? |
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128 | (2) |
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When a plant dies, what happens to its roots? |
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130 | (1) |
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What happens if you stop watering? |
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131 | (1) |
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Why do potted plants often fail? |
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132 | (2) |
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134 | (2) |
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Does salting soil turn tomatoes salty? |
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136 | (1) |
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Why can't garden soil be used to grow plants in pots? |
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137 | (1) |
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Can some plants grow without soil? |
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138 | (2) |
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Which is the tastiest soil? |
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140 | (2) |
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142 | (1) |
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Is there soil under the sea? |
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143 | (1) |
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How long does it take for compost o turn into soil? |
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144 | (2) |
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Which animal makes the best manure? |
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146 | (2) |
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Why do some roots grow above the ground? |
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148 | (1) |
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Will the world ever run out of soil? |
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149 | (1) |
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Blood, fish and bone: whose blood, what fish and whose bones? |
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150 | (2) |
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How many big animals live in the soil? |
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152 | (4) |
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4 Weather, Climate and the Seasons |
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Is it true that you shouldn't water plants when the sun is out? |
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156 | (2) |
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Are roots harmed by freezing? |
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158 | (2) |
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Why do some trees drop their leaves in autumn, while others keep them? |
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160 | (2) |
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Do plants need watering less when it is humid? |
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162 | (2) |
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Why do plants go grey or blue when stressed? |
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164 | (1) |
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Can hot soil burn plants? |
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165 | (1) |
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How do trees know when to drop their leaves? |
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166 | (2) |
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How long can a plant survive without water? |
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168 | (2) |
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Why do some plants survive frost, while others don't? |
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170 | (2) |
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How do bulbs know when to come up? |
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172 | (2) |
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174 | (1) |
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How much water does a tree use in a day? |
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175 | (1) |
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Why does frost make some vegetables taste better? |
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176 | (2) |
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How do plants stay alive in the desert? |
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178 | (2) |
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How does grass survive under snow? |
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180 | (2) |
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Why do leaves change colour in autumn? |
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182 | (2) |
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Why don't plants flower in winter? |
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184 | (1) |
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How long could a tree survive in the dark? |
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185 | (1) |
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What happens to the frogs in the pond if it freezes? |
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186 | (4) |
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How do you keep spiders out of a shed? |
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190 | (1) |
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When does a bed become a border? |
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191 | (1) |
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Who invented the garden gnome? |
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192 | (2) |
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Why do slugs eat some plants and not others? |
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194 | (2) |
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What food makes the best compost? |
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196 | (1) |
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197 | (1) |
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Why is there moss growing on the lawn? |
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198 | (2) |
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What is the difference between a slug and a snail? |
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200 | (2) |
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Where do bees go in winter? |
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202 | (1) |
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Do lawns have to be made of grass? |
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203 | (1) |
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What is a bird's favourite food? |
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204 | (2) |
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206 | (2) |
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Does beer get rid of slugs? |
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208 | (1) |
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How can you tell if pond water is unhealthy? |
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209 | (1) |
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How do you attract butterflies? |
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210 | (2) |
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How long will a slug take to get back to my garden? |
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212 | (1) |
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Do brandling worms taste bad? |
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213 | (1) |
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Do my fruit trees really need pruning? |
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214 | (2) |
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216 | (1) |
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Why is it that pests eat my favourite plants, but ignore the weeds? |
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217 | (1) |
| Further reading |
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218 | (2) |
| Index |
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220 | (4) |
| Credits |
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224 | |
