“全球会客厅”：疫情时期的自然治愈 —— 园艺

“当世界疲倦、社会无法满足时，总还有花园。”十九世纪诗人米妮•奥莫尼尔（Minnie Aumonier）如此描述园艺带给人们的心灵慰藉。

2020年，一场席卷全球的新冠肺炎疫情打乱了人们的日常生活、工作和娱乐活动，也给很多人带来了焦虑、不安、压抑等消极情绪。然而，人们总有各种各样的办法来帮助自己更好地适应疫情带来的变化，而园艺这项自然治愈系活动，也成为了海内外很多人的新宠。

 9月5日，中央广播电视总台中国国际电视台（CGTN）的“全球会客厅”网络直播节目邀请了来自中国、美国、意大利的几位园艺爱好者，请他们聊一聊疫情期间，园艺给他们的生活带来了什么样的变化。

The curbs and concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have left a great number of people confined to their homes. By nature, people are longing to get close to others and go outdoors for some fresh air. During this harsh time, many people are finding peace in gardening. After all, nature is not limited to mountains and oceans; it exists in our daily lives.

In the latest episode of CGTN's new live-streaming program "The Chat Room" aired on Saturday, CGTN invited gardening enthusiasts from the U.S., Italy and China to reveal their gardening secrets and how the pandemic has affected their plantation routines.

中外嘉宾参加“全球会客厅”直播节目

中外家庭的秘密花园都长什么样？

乔治•戴维斯(George Davis) 是居住在纽约郊区的一名住宅设计师，他率先向大家展示了自家的大果园，这里不仅种植着苹果、梨、桃子、李子、樱桃、草莓等各种水果，还有西红柿、茄子、辣椒、豆角、生菜等各色蔬菜。“我几乎种下了所有可以种植的果蔬，”乔治自豪地介绍说，他会把这些蔬菜和水果分享给他的家人和朋友。

乔治•戴维斯在直播中展示自家果园里的西红柿

视频中乔治的果园里，不同的果树和蔬菜错落有致，院子里绿意盎然、生机勃勃，引来北京嘉宾的一致艳羡。

家住北京的王思疌是中美商会政府事务部副主管，她介绍说，相比种蔬菜，她更擅长种花，为此她专程买了一个带花园的房子，里面种着玫瑰、绣球、樱花等二十多种花花草草。

同在北京的邹露潇是一家线上教育公司的产品经理，虽然她家里的空间有限，但她还是利用窗台和窗台下的一片空地打造出了一片小小的种植空间，保证窗台上四季都盛开着向日葵、绣球花、兰花、百合、金盏菊、牵牛花等各色花卉。

邹露潇在节目中展示自己开满鲜花的窗台和在窗台下打造的小菜园

安娜•库维隆（Anna Couvillon）是华盛顿的一名护士，她与男友的小院种得最多的是各类香料植物，包括酸叶草、罗勒、香葱、欧芹等，做菜需要的时候可以随取随用。除此之外他们也种植了矢车菊、剑兰等花卉。为了环保，他们还在小院里安装了一个雨水收集装置，用收集来的雨水灌溉院子里的植物。安娜介绍说，这是华盛顿很流行的一种做法，政府也很鼓励这种做法，会报销雨水收集装置的费用。

安娜•库维隆展示自家小院里种植的香料植物

Gardening during the pandemic

George Davis, author and residential remodeler in Essex, New York, has various species of plants in his garden, including apples, eggplants, tomatoes and cherries. He said the tomatoes had attracted raccoons and deer who like to eat the vegetable. 

Wang Sijie, associate director of government affairs and policy team at AmCham China in Beijing, said she has 42 types of roses, 12 kinds of hydrangea, cherry-blossoms and 24 kinds of perennial herbs, most of which are flowers.

Zou Luxiao, product manager at an e-learning company, lives in an apartment in Beijing. She doesn't have a garden, instead she plants sunflowers, parsley, orchid and other such plants in a public area near her apartment. She said gardening makes her feel fresh during the epidemic.

Anna Couvillon, a nurse practitioner in Washington, D.C., has a really pretty garden. She said her family members are very environmentally cautious. They have a rainwater collector which is used to water the plants. She said the city promotes such water reservoirs and gives 100 dollars per purchase.

Filippo Mattia Dobrovich, an architect in Rome, Italy, introduced a garden which could have been demolished. He said the city wanted to build buildings on the area three years ago, but people didn't like the idea. Instead, they wanted to turn it into a public garden. People now take care of the plants in the garden together.

George also introduced several ways to be environmentally friendly when gardening. For example, they collect all kinds of kitchen waste in boxes and cover it with soil. In the fall, they put the mixture in the soil instead of using a fertilizer. If people use fertilizers in the garden, the chemicals will be washed into the water with the current, and eventually the chemicals will be eaten by humans.

疫情期间，园艺给人们的生活带来了哪些改变？

这些嘉宾虽然来自不同的国家，从事着迥然不同的职业，但是当他们在节目中展示自家的园艺成果时，传递出来的快乐和满足却是相通的。

邹露潇说，从今年2月份到5月份，由于在家远程办公，她每天有更多的时间和这些花花草草打交道，这是一种非常好的放松身心的方式。

安娜认为，疫情期间，园艺是一种救赎，是一种完美的在室外安全活动的方式，也是一种心灵的放松，可以让人沐浴在阳光下，呼吸新鲜的空气，而不会觉得自己被疫情困住了。

她说，疫情也让更多的人开始了解园艺，喜欢园艺，把它作为一种新的爱好来培养，有很多朋友来向她请教。她还介绍，3月份的时候，她所在的地方兴起了一波园艺热，大家都去买植物的种子，导致当地所有的种子都卖光了。

乔治也有类似的感悟，他说疫情期间有了很多新的园艺爱好者，也因此交到了更多的朋友。

CGTN主持人邹韵在“全球会客厅”北京演播室

How has gardening changed people's lives during the pandemic?

Although the guests come from different countries, they reflected a similar sense of contentment when talking about their gardening achievements.

Zou said that from February to May this year, she had more time taking care of the plants every day because she worked remotely from home.

Anna believes gardening is a salvation during the pandemic, a perfect way to do safe outdoor activities. It allows people to bask in the sun and breathe fresh air without feeling trapped by the pandemic. She said the pandemic has also made more people learn about gardening and like it as a new hobby. In March, there was a gardening craze in her area and all the seeds in the local markets were sold out.

对于什么植物都养不活的人有何建议？

嘉宾们在节目中展示的果园和花园也让观看节目的网友们羡慕不已，然而园艺并非是一门简单的手艺，有一位微博网友就问出了很多人的心声：对于什么植物都养不活的人，这些园艺达人又有什么建议呢？

一位微博网友通过节目提问：对于什么植物都养不活的人有何建议？

王思疌的建议是，首先可以向身边喜欢且擅长种植的朋友或同事请教一些实用的建议，也可以看一些园艺方面的电视节目和专业书籍来获得相关知识，根据专业的指导多实践，多总结。她补充说，耐心和热爱是最重要的。所谓园艺，就是面对自然的责任感，用恰当的方法付出自己全部的温柔。

乔治和安娜建议初学的朋友从最简单的厨房作物种起，比如种几棵西红柿或罗勒，这些植物相对简单且容易存活，会让初学者体会到其中的乐趣，也更愿意继续尝试。

“只要你种了自己的香料，就会发现它们多么容易存活，品尝到它们多么新鲜，你就不再愿意花几美元去超市买了，”安娜回答说。

无论是种植鲜花、蔬菜还是水果，人们喜欢园艺，也许是因为不同的原因，但是都从中收获了一种田园牧歌般的心灵治愈力，正如美国诗人梅•萨顿（May Sarton）所说，“一切使我们放慢脚步并增强耐心的事物，都会使我们重返自然界，这是有帮助的。园艺是一种恩典。”

Suggestions for the beginners

However, gardening is not an easy skill. One Weibo user asked the guests for advice for those who do not know how to grow plants.

Wang Sijie suggested watching related TV programs and professional books on gardening to obtain relevant knowledge. Patience and love are the most important things, she added. Gardening is about facing nature and giving all your gentleness in the right direction.

George and Anna advised beginners to start with the simplest kitchen plants, such as tomato or basil, which are relatively easy to grow. These plants will give beginners a lot of fun and make them more willing to keep trying.

"Once you grow your own herbs and taste how fresh they are, how incredibly easy they are to grow, you will not spend five or seven dollars at grocery store for week-old herbs," Anna said.

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