美國式庭園的規畫 (1)

Justin Lai譯述文集

美國式庭園的規畫 (1) Garden Planning in American Style

【前言】：

一般美國住宅(residence) 可分為：公寓(apartment) ，康斗(condominium) ，城市屋(townhouse/townhome) 與獨立家庭屋(single family house) 等。除了最後一種留有空間可建為garden外，其餘都是公共設施地，幾乎沒有私人空間。而獨立屋之庭園大小也依各市市政府的city planning(都市規畫)而定。從前有的城市要求房屋的set-back(離路邊及後面之界線)要在50呎以上，現在城市人口密度增加，有的已減為20-30呎，當然庭院就變小了，但仍有些空間可供作園藝之用，尤其是back yard。有空間好好利用十分可惜。

Don’t Let Your Yard Bury You別讓家裡的園地荒廢

Before working on any yard, I always ask the owners, “How do you use it?”

在開始園藝規劃工作之前，我總是問主人

『你如何利用園地? 』

More often than not, they say they don’t use it at all –a perfectly functional outdoor space gone to waste. This is almost always because the design doesn’t make it easy. Maybe you like to entertain and need more hardscape… and a table! Each part of your yard, whether for farming, relaxing, gardening or sitting should be shaped by its purpose.

他們經常說，他們完全不用-一塊具完美功能的户外空間竟全被廢置。幾乎永遠都是因為設計不良使它不易利用。也許你喜歡招待客人，須要更多的硬體設備…和一張桌子。不論是否作種植用、休閑、園藝或閑坐，園子的每一部分都須規劃。

With that in mind- and a few Saturdays free to work outside-the possibilities are endless.  Here are a few specifics I like.

基於那樣的想法，和有幾個空閑可在户外工作的周末，可能性是無限的。下列是我喜歡的若干特別計劃。

Love that hardscape. 愛好那個硬體的設置

When it comes to patios and paths, you can do a lot for very little money. Dress up in expensive drab concrete pavers with acrylic water-based stain. I like to do an Old World look with a golden-honey color dabbed with brown- and I’ve seen it in really cool checkerboard patterns.  Another option: Lay flagstone, planting low-lying thyme or moss between the joints.

提到延伸的凉亭或小徑，花點小錢就能辦到許多事。在昂貴淺灰色的混凝土路面上，舖上用壓克力水性染劑，可使它如穿著盛裝一般。我喜歡把看起來像舊東西的地方，用帶蜜蜂金黃色，加淺棕色來裝飾。我巳看到它成棋盤狀那麽酷。另一選擇是：鋪上小石頭，在連接處種點低平的薄荷類植物或苔類。

  Break up the yard. 將園子分成幾部份

Not unlike the rooms in your house, outdoor spaces can be divided based on what you intend to do there. So instead of having one giant expanse, you could position a dining table on a patio, some couches near the fence, a little gliding chair under a Japanese maple in the back, a nice shade spot with a hammock off the side.  Each “room” should have its own purpose.

就如屋內房間一般，屋外空間也可以依照你的意願分成幾部份。並非大擴張，你可以把餐桌放在內院凉亭裡，長沙發放在圍牆邊，在後面日本楓樹下放一張小的鞦韆椅子，在有陰影處放一吊床。每一個『空間』應有它的用途。

  Get the shed organized 把小棚組織起來

In many yards, I see stuff everywhere-toys, lawn mowers, you name it.  Who wants to go into a yard with all that stuff? If you have a shed, fix it up by adding a window or a flower box, and dedicate it to only gardening tools.  Make it warm and inviting so that you actually garden.

在許多園地我看到到處堆滿了東西，玩具、刈草機等等。誰要進入堆滿這些東西的園地裡? 如果你有個棚，就把它整理好，加一面窗、或花架，並使它暖和吸引人，以致你真正是在經營園藝工作。

  Plant plantings 種點東西

Homeowners often tell me that they buy “one of everything pretty,” but nothing pretty survives. So the No.1 thing people should do-from Alaska to Florida to Maine- is to go to a nursery or garden center with a notebook and open ears.  Learn about the plants you may want.  Find out details like how tall they will grow.  Many people tell me they bought what they thought was a 3-foot hedge but they have to keep trimming it because it grew to 10 feet.  In other words, choose plants that will be the right size at maturity.

屋主常告訴我他們『每樣漂亮的東西』都買一樣，但沒有一項漂亮的東西存活下來。所以不論你住那裡，從阿拉斯加到佛羅里達或到緬因州，他們首先要做的事就是去苗圃或園藝中心，去學習一點有關你所要的植物，帶本筆記本並張大眼睛去看。去找出種植的細節，例如它們會長多高。許多人告訴我他們買了原先以為只會長到3呎高的籬笆樹，但後來却一直修剪，因為它長到十呎高。換言之，要選買的植物，必須是在成熟時只長到適當的大小。

  Make ‘invisible’s eating 製造看不見的用餐

For people who like to host barbecues and other big gatherings, hidden seating is an asset when you run out of chairs.  Try a raised planting bed, which allows you to tend the garden without having to get down on your knees.  So if you raise the sides of the bed to seating height (18-22inches) and put on a cap, you could comfortably seat as many as 30 additional people at your next backyard party.  Plus, flowers and vegetables will really thrive in the raised bed.

對於喜歡招待客人來烤肉，或其他大集會的人來說，看不見的座位是一項資產，當你家的椅子不够用時。試用一片高架的苗圃，它可以讓你不用跪下來整理園藝。因此如果你墊高苗圃邊緣部份到可以坐的高度(18-22吋) 並舖上一個外皮，那麽下次開party時，你就可以舒舒服服地多容納30位客人。此外，花卉與疏菜在墊高的苗圃上也會繁榮茁壯。(未完)

08/19/2013

Justin Lai 譯述

嘉中校友全聯會

AACHW13