康涅狄格州河畔自然庭院的四季之美

10年前Malvern East项目的业主找到我们，希望和我们一起完成另一个项目，这让我们感到十分荣幸。 他们在2015年搬到康涅狄格州，并邀请我们再次设计和实施他们花园的建设。这块迷人的场地占地约1500平方米，可以俯瞰整个Saugatuck河。整体设计希望能打造出一个充满多年生植物的美丽庭院。通过如今发达的通讯技术（iPad和Skype），在整个项目中我们都能够与项目经理、架构师和业主进行互动和沟通，如同我们身处现场一样。在成本和时间效率方面更值得注意的是，我们发现在世界的另一端参与设计和建造，与现场操作几乎没有差别。这个项目让我们有机会运用澳大利亚所没有的或未被意识到的多年生植物进行配置。而北美和欧洲的四季比这里更加鲜明，这让植物需要适应更加剧烈的季节变化。我们现在很高兴看到这个美丽的花园在一年中的生长变化：花朵完全盛开的春夏季，冰雪覆盖下的枝干裸露状态和充满锈色的秋季。

▼住宅的庭院可俯瞰整个Saugatuck河，the courtyard of the house overlooks the entire Saugatuck River

▼多年生植物打造丰富庭院效果，perennial plants create rich courtyard effects

It’s always humbling when a past client returns to ask us to work on another project together. Our Malvern East clients from 10 years ago, did just that when they moved to Connecticut back in 2015 and asked us to once again design and oversee the construction of their garden.Situated on approx 1500 m2, this stunning property overlooks the Saugatuck River. The brief called for a design that was packed full of naturalistic perennial plating – so we were on board immediately!Technology these days (iPads and Skype) means that throughout the entire project we were able to interact and work with the project manager, architect and clients as though we were physically standing next to them on site. Remarkably we found very little difference, in terms of cost and time efficiencies, to design and construct on the other side of the world as it is locally.This project gave us the chance to use a selection of perennials that aren’t available in Australia or that we don’t get to see reach their full potential in our climate. The seasons in North America and Europe are much more distinct than here, which allows for plants to go through more dramatic seasonal changes.We have had the pleasure now of witnessing this incredible garden over a full growth year – we have seen its beauty in full spectacular flower, in bare sculptural form iced with snow and now immersed in rich, rusty Autumnal colour.

▼汀步视野，step area view

设计任务是什么？|What was the brief?

我们设计并监督了位于美国康涅狄格州一个自然多年生花园的建设。该项目中我们将澳大利亚的植物放进了美国的花园里。业主对于娱乐空间非常看重，同时需要强调水的设计。业主希望我们可以愉快的完成这个项目，并且在花园中反映他们热爱自然和自由的生活意愿，同时花园还可以兼具水果蔬菜等农产品的生产作用。

Design and oversee construction of a naturalistic perennial focused garden in Connecticut USA. Put an Australian spin on a US garden. Entertaining is very important to our clients and there needed to be an emphasis on view lines to the water. A big property that our clients wanted us to have fun with. One of our clients is very free spirited and loves nature – so the garden had to reflect this as well as being practical with the ability to grow produce such as fruits and vegetables.

▼乔木、灌木、地被三种构成多层次组合，模拟大自然效果，trees, shrubs and ground cover are combined in three layers to simulate the effects of nature

主要挑战是什么？|What were the key challenges?

我们通过调查找到可以实现设计和配色方案的当地植物，同时还能不受该地区经常出没的野生鹿的影响。由于花园的后部区域位于这条河的洪水水线范围内，所以在这个区域我们不能依靠任何坚实的基础结构进行设计，也不能构造混凝土结构。

Investigating local plants that worked with our design and colour scheme whilst also being resistant to wild deer that commonly frequent the area.There was also a flood overlay from the river so we couldn’t have any solid footings from the back door. Garden needed to be designed in a way where we could create steps without any solid footings (we were unable to pour a concrete slab).

▼钢制立管固定在地面的栏杆上作为河边围挡，steel risers fixed on the railing of the ground as a riverside enclosure

有什么解决方案？|What were the solutions?

我们创建了一个植物清单，清单里仍采用我们在澳大利亚常使用的植物配色，同时在美国找到可适用的多年生植物，以适应气候和野鹿的问题。由于位于洪水覆盖的区域，无法在设计/施工中使用任何坚固的基础去创建楼梯隔档，因此我们使用钢制立管固定在地面的栏杆上。这些杆放插入地下，然后将钢制立柱与栏杆相焊接，这样就不会移动放在它们后面的碎石。同时，我们采用柔性基材作为铺地基础。后部的装饰台阶实际上是铺设在柔性基板上的瓷砖。这所有的设计没有运用任何的实体结构，一切都是可渗透的。

▼所有设施都采用可渗透性的，nothing is layed on a hard service – everything is permeable

我们的业主有什么有趣的地方？|Who are the clients and what’s interesting about them?

我们的业主热爱大自然，因此他们总是首先考虑环境问题，并且希望回馈自然，这点让我们十分欣慰。这个花园中雕塑都是由业主在拆迁过程中找到的材料，并将这些材料赠送给当地艺术家，让他们为她的花园创作独特而有个性的东西。我们的业主善于选贤举能，重视选择合适的人来完成这项工作，然后让他们去实现。这真是我们的理想业主！

▼由业主在拆迁过程中找到的材料构造的雕塑，sculpture constructed of materials found by the owner during the demolition process

We love that our clients have a genuine love of nature. They are always thinking first and foremost about the environment and always wanting to give back to it. The sculpture used in this garden design is very unique to our client – all materials were found on site during demolition. She gave these materials to a local artist to create something unique and individual for her garden.We love that once briefed our client leaves her chosen professionals to do what they excel in and wants them to have fun! She values choosing the right people to do the job and then leaves them be to do it! The ideal client!

▼选用忍冬科植物作为地被，适应冬季景观效果，use evergreen plants as ground cover to adapt to winter climate