I Really Wonder What Plant I'm Growing Charlie and Lola

Charlie!

Lola?

Charlie.

Oh!

I have this little sister, Lola.

She is small and very funny.

-What are you doing, Charlie?

-I'm growing a plant. It's a tomato one.

Ugh. I am not keen on tomatoes.

I know you're not but, you see, it's really amazing,

because this plant can actually grow tomatoes.

Ooh!

That green plant grows into tomatoes?

Yep. If I look after it properly.

You're doing really well, aren't you?

-You've got lots of big leaves.

-Charlie,

why are you talking to your plant? They don't have ears.

Lots of people talk to plants. Mrs Finch says it helps them grow.

-Why?

-Well, the air that we breathe out

is the air that plants like to breathe in.

So, when I talk, my plant gets lots of air.

Oh! I'd like to grow a plant. You see, I'm a very good talker.

Then we did a painting class and then we saw the fishes in the pond

and then we went shopping

and I slipped but it only hurt a little bit and then...

I don't want a plant of tomatoes, Charlie.

You don't have to grow a tomato plant. You can grow any plant.

Oh! I could grow a biscuit plant.

Or a butterfly plant.

Or a musical plant that plays music.

LOLA HUMS

'So Mum bought Lola a pack of seeds, so she could grow her own plant.'

What did I do now, Charlie?

You have to put one seed in the hole in the earth.

-Ooh!

-And then cover it up.

If you look after it properly, it will grow into a plant.

Hmm!

There are lots of different seeds and lots of different plants.

Like cress seeds, that grow into cress.

And pumpkin seeds that grow into pumpkins.

And acorns that grow into...

-Acorns!

-No!

Acorns grow into HUGE, TALL oak trees!

-What will my seed grow into?

-You'll have to wait and see.

-It's a wait-and-see seed!

-Yes. It's a wait-and-see seed.

Go on, plant it.

I think it will have a stripy stalk that will grow and grow

into big leafs and curlies and big, huge flowers!

Lola.

OK, I'll just wait and see.

Oh.

Where are you?

Why aren't you doing anything?

I'm talking to you but you're still not growing.

-VOICES ON RADIO

-Now you'll DEFINITELY grow.

LOLA SIGHS

-You know my wait-and-see plant, Charlie?

-Yes.

Well, there's a lot of waiting and no seeing at all!

You just have to be patient.

LOLA SIGHS

Yes!

LOLA HARRUMPHS

Look, Lola, my first tomato!

That's nice, Charlie.

But my seed won't grow.

Mrs Finch told me that seeds only grow when they're happy

and first of all, they need water.

LOLA LAUGHS

The rain helps the roots to grow.

The water seeps deep into the ground.

And then roots start to grow, to help the plant stand up.

Like feet!

They're all squiggly, Charlie.

LOLA LAUGHS

-ROOTS SLURP

-What's that?

-Slurping.

Plants also use their roots for drinking, like straws.

LOLA LAUGHS

Lola, not too much water. Oh.

Oh, dear. it won't grow if it gets too much water.

-Oh.

-Hmm.

-Oops.

-Maybe you should ask Mum for another seed.

Hmm.

-There.

-Yes, that's good, just enough to wet the soil.

-Anything else to make my plant happy, Charlie?

-They love sunshine.

Oh, they love the sunshine!

They like to grow towards the warm and it makes their leaves come out.

Look, the sunshine has made my plant grow a tiny weenie bit.

-See?

-Yes.

Hmm. I will leave my plant in the sunshine.

Charlie!

-Oh, dear, Lola. Too much sun.

-Oh, no, what am I going to do now?

Ask Mum for another seed?

Just enough sunshine for the leaves

and just enough water for the squiggly roots.

I'm sure it will grow this time.

Look, here's the book Mrs Finch gave us about plants. You'll like it.

Ooh!

You see, the thing is, growing a seed is only just the beginning.

-The seed grows into a plant and the plant grows into a...

-Flower!

Then bees come to eat from the plants.

And as they eat, they get all this yellow stuff called pollen,

all over their furry legs.

And then they fly off to another plant.

The pollen from the two flowers gets all mixed up

and makes a new seed.

-Wow!

-And there are thousands and thousands of different seeds

and lots of ways they can travel.

Why do the seeds want to travel?

So they can spread everywhere and lots of flowers, plants and trees

can grow all over the place. Look.

Some seeds get picked up by birds, or animals.

Other seeds travel by the wind.

Yay!

And some seeds are so clever, they can fly all by themselves.

Those seeds are spinning!

LOLA LAUGHS

These seeds grow into trees called sycamores.

And when the seeds fall onto the ground, a new plant grows.

Ooh!

And you see, Lola, it goes round and round forever.

-Seed, plant...

-Flower!

-That's right.

Seed, plant, flower.

Oh, I wonder what plant I'm growing.

It might take a long time before you know and you have to keep checking...

There's enough water and sunshine.

I'm going to make sure that everything is just right.

Ah.

Ooh!

VOICES CHATTER ON RADIO

It's doing really well, Lola.

-I know.

-What do you think it'll grow into?

I think it will be...

a pineapple, or maybe it will be one of those prickly plants,

or maybe it will be one of those big, big, huge trees!

Um...Lola?

It might just be a normal plant, with leaves.

Oh, no, Charlie. My plant is going to be an extremely special plant.

LOLA HUMS HAPPILY

Even if it is just a plant of leaves,

maybe they will be in all different colours.

-Or maybe it reach the ceiling.

-It won't grow more if you don't sleep.

And grow and grow and grow and grow...

..high in the sky.

LOLA LAUGHS

Hmm.

It's a flower, Charlie.

Yes. It's a flower.

It's a white flower.

Yes. It's a white flower.

SHE SNIFFS

And it has a smell.

I have grown a smelling flower.

And do you like it?

I like it!

LOLA LAUGHS

Subtitles by Laura Jones Red Bee Media Ltd 2006

E-mail [email protected]