Spring Symphony: The National Open Gardens Day｜春天交響曲：英國國家開放花園日
London's many parks and gardens are the perfect places to soak up the spring sunshine. 倫敦眾多的公園與花園是享受春天陽光的最佳地點。© Eileen Hsieh
Spring in Britain is a force to be reckoned with. Upon its arrival, blue skies storm through the fortified cloud ceiling, making room for the sun to spread paintballs all over mother nature. The clock system shifts forward by an hour, stretching the daylight long into the evening. The balmy weather scrapes away the frowning mask on Londoner's face, revealing a big smile and sparkling eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
The truth is, we are all in love with Spring, and we will follow it wherever it goes.
To celebrate this sweet love affair, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) runs an annual campaign called the National Gardening Week (April 13-19) to help people celebrate, learn about and conserve their gardens, green spaces and local environment.
This year sees a new and exciting addition to the campaign -- the first-ever National Open Gardens Day -- which, for one day only on Friday, April 17, will give the public the chance to explore gardens that normally charge for entry or are only available for private visits.
If you've been to the popular Open House London architectural festival, this is basically its horticultural cousin.
The inaugural event will see 27 gardens across Britain opening their gates to the public for free, including the following locations in and around London.
在英國，春天的魔力不容小覷。它的降臨，一手推走了灰暗的天空，一手為大自然漆上了迷人的色彩。因為它，英國夏令時間拉長了一小時的白晝，溫暖的氣候讓倫敦人慢慢卸去愁眉苦臉的面具，露出了久違的燦爛笑容。
沒錯，我們都愛春天，不管它前往何處，我們都願意死心踏地的跟隨著它。
A sea of red tulips at Buckingham Palace. 白金漢宮的鬱金香花海。© Eileen Hsieh
為了慶祝這段甜蜜的戀情，英國皇家園藝學會（RHS）每年都會舉辦盛大的全國園藝週（今年為 4月13日～19日），鼓勵大家一同來慶祝，了解和保護英國各地的花園與綠地。
與往年不同的是，今年主辦單位創立了首屆國家開放花園日，提供大眾有機會去探索一些平時需入門票或是不對外開放的私人美麗花園。
如果你參加過超熱門的倫敦建築開放日就知道，國家開放花園日其實就是 Open House London 的園藝版。全英國於4月17日共會有27個花園免費對外開放，包括以下幾個位於倫敦附近的地點。