Uly, is it correct to say here?
1. "...we were working in the garden."
2. "We were watching TV and they were listening to the radio."

I think it's optional here whether to choose a continuous or a simple. In case you emphasize the action, it is a simple, if it's the process, then it is a continuous. Let's wait for Uly to answer.

Спасибо, Vladislav.

Маргарита, подобное мы сейсас обсуждает здесь, если интересно: https://www.lingvolive.com/ru-ru/community/posts/705796#comments

Hi Margarita! Sorry for the late reply. (1) When you specify how long an action took (e.g. from two to four) and talk about it after the fact, you use the simple past, unless someone specifically wants to know what you were doing at that time. A: What were you doing yesterday at 2? B: I was working in the garden. Otherwise it sounds unnatural to use the past progressive on its own because we normally use it when we want to talk about two things that happened consecutively: Yesterday I was working in the garden when I heard a loud crash. That's why if you simply say "Yesterday I was working in the garden" the listener will expect you to talk about something else that happened.

(2) Same as above: if someone specifically asks you what you were doing last night, you could use the progressive. However, when looking back on completed actions it sounds more natural to use the simple past.

Спасибо , Vladislav и Uly.