Tell me about a time a plant didn't survive in your care.

A natural way to answer

I bought an orchid a couple of years ago. I didn't really know how to look after it, so I watered it too much and the roots rotted. It slowly wilted and I had to throw it out.

Key phrases to use

• let something die — to fail to look after a plant or thing until it dies, usually by neglect“I felt bad that I let it die after only a month.”
• go downhill — to gradually get worse in health or condition“The plant started going downhill the moment I moved it.”