美国 阿拉巴马州Aldridge花园 – 以绣球花闻名的林地花园

历史沿革

奥尔德里奇花园（Aldridge Gardens）位于美国阿拉巴马州杰斐逊县胡佛市（Hoover），占地约 30 英亩，是一座以绣球花闻名的林地花园。花园所在地原是考克斯（Coxe）家族庄园，1966 年由当地苗圃经营者艾迪·奥尔德里奇（Eddie Aldridge）和他的父亲在此栽种两棵木兰树时，被这片土地的自然景致打动。1978 年，奥尔德里奇买下这片土地，开始与妻子凯（Kay）一起经营苗圃，并逐步将其打造成兼具苗圃与园林功能的私家花园。1997 年，夫妇二人将土地移交给胡佛市政府；2002 年正式作为公共花园向公众开放，免费参观。2018 年艾迪·奥尔德里奇去世，他与父亲共同培育的雪花绣球花至今仍是花园的标志性花卉之一。

园区布局与绣球花特色

花园围绕一座约 5 英亩的湖泊展开，步道蜿蜒穿过林地与多个主题花园。园内以绣球花收藏著称，尤其以雪花绣球花（Snowflake Hydrangea）最为人熟知，这一品种由艾迪·奥尔德里奇与父亲于 1969 年在阿拉巴马州野外发现，1971 年获得植物专利，此后通过他们的推广传播到世界各地，并被指定为胡佛市的官方市花。除绣球花外，园区还种植山茶、日本枫树、杜鹃花、盆景以及多种阿拉巴马本土植物。园中设有由约翰·沃克（John Walker）设计的迈耶盆景台（Meyer Bonsai Terrace），以鸟居门造型入口，搭配蜿蜒砖道与禅意水景，被认为是美国东南部最出色的盆景收藏之一。

艺术与社区活动

奥尔德里奇花园长期致力于将自然与艺术相结合，常年举办轮换式的户外雕塑与室内画展，展出本地艺术家的作品，其中包含美国阿拉巴马州艺术家弗兰克·弗莱明（Frank Fleming）系列青铜雕塑。花园每年举办的主要活动包括春季植物销售、绣球花之夜（Hydrangeas Under the Stars）、胡佛美食节（Taste of Hoover）等；面向成年人和儿童开设园艺、手工、自然教育课程，并提供夏令营与校外实地教学。学生团体可预约参加“通往奥尔德里奇堡步道”（Trail to Fort Aldridge）等主题导览，了解当地历史与自然知识。

自然观察与配套设施

园区内栖息着 90 多种鸟类，退休生物学家长期观察记录后编写的本地鸟类指南为观鸟爱好者提供参考；花园也是阿拉巴拉契亚高地阿拉巴马观鸟路线（Appalachian Highlands Alabama Birding Trail）的组成部分，每逢春季至秋季的会员专属导览观鸟活动颇受欢迎。由养蜂爱好者捐助建立的 Apiopolis 蜂场位于奥尔德里奇故居后方，配有仿希腊神庙造型的铜顶蜂箱，同时养殖橄榄树与无花果树。园区近年通过多项无障碍改造，包括铺设砖砌步道、修整坡道，使主要步行路线达到美国林务局步道无障碍标准，让更多访客能够便利地游览主要景点。

参观信息

花园每日 8:00 至 19:00 对公众开放，免收入园，仅在感恩节、圣诞前夕、圣诞日、新年当日及特殊活动期间关闭。办公时间为周一至周五；周末遛狗与湖边垂钓仅限周一至周四进行。园内设礼品店 Roots Garden & Gift Shop，并提供婚礼与团体活动场地租赁服务。花园由胡佛市政府拥有，日常工作由 8 人团队负责运营，理事会负责整体管理。游客可通过现场捐款、加入会员或“生命步道”捐砖计划支持花园维护。

History

Aldridge Gardens is a 30-acre woodland garden in Hoover, Jefferson County, Alabama, best known for its hydrangea collection and the Snowflake Hydrangea patented by founder Eddie Aldridge. Conveyed to the City of Hoover in 1997 and opened to the public free of charge in 2002, the garden surrounds a five-acre lake and includes themed plantings, walking trails, the Meyer Bonsai Terrace, and rotating outdoor and indoor art exhibits. The facility hosts seasonal plant sales, educational programs for adults and children, summer camps, and member-led bird walks among more than 90 recorded species. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with free admission, Aldridge Gardens is supported by the city, an eight-person staff, a board of directors, and a community of members and donors.

Layout & Hydrangea Collection

The 30-acre site is anchored by a five-acre lake, with meandering trails passing through woodland borders and a series of themed plantings. The hydrangea collection is the most extensive in the region and centers on the Snowflake Hydrangea, an oakleaf variety first noticed by Eddie and his father in the Alabama woods in 1969 and patented in 1971. They propagated the plant widely without collecting royalties, and it is now grown in gardens across several continents. Camellias, Japanese maples, azaleas, bonsai, and native Alabama species round out the plantings. The Meyer Bonsai Terrace, designed by curator John Walker, is entered through a torii-style gateway and features brick paths, platform displays, and a Zen fountain, and is regarded as one of the finest bonsai collections in the southeastern United States.

Art & Community Programs

Nature and art meet throughout the gardens. Outdoor sculptures and a rotating indoor gallery showcase regional artists, including a substantial body of work by Alabama sculptor Frank Fleming. Annual community events include a spring plant sale, Hydrangeas Under the Stars, and the Taste of Hoover festival, while year-round classes cover gardening, crafts, and nature education for adults and children. Summer camps, school field trips, and themed walks such as the Trail to Fort Aldridge extend the programming to younger visitors and local students, reinforcing the garden’s role as a public classroom for horticulture and local history.

Wildlife & Accessibility

More than 90 bird species have been recorded on the grounds, and the gardens are part of the Appalachian Highlands Alabama Birding Trail. Member-led guided bird walks are offered monthly from spring through fall, using a printed guide to native birds developed from years of local observations. Behind the historic Aldridge House, the Apiopolis apiary houses hives in copper-topped structures inspired by classical Greek architecture, alongside olive and fig trees that benefit both pollinators and visitors. Recent accessibility projects, including extended brick pathways and a redesigned crushed-stone trail meeting U.S. Forest Service trail standards, have made the main areas of the gardens reachable for a wider range of visitors.

Visiting

Aldridge Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with free admission, closing only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and during special events. Business offices are open weekdays; leashed dogs and lake fishing are permitted Monday through Thursday only. The Roots Garden & Gift Shop is on site, and the gardens host weddings, corporate gatherings, and private events. Operations are managed by an eight-person staff under the oversight of a board of directors, with ongoing support from members, donors, and volunteer programs.

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